Only You Can Love Me This Way
by StarsHollowGazette2010
Summary: Sequel to Overjoyed. Over a year after Bon Voyage, Luke and Lorelai still have some adventures to embark upon together.
1. Chapter 1

**I couldn't stay away long. After all the comments for Overjoyed and requests for this story to continue, I really didn't have to think too much about making it happen. I am so grateful to everyone who stayed with me through that story, and I hope you'll all enjoy the continuation of this Stars Hollow Universe.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Lorelai Gilmore Danes was nothing if not stubborn.

As she stood on the sidewalk outside her husband's diner, her arms crossed over her chest, she was determined not to let him win this battle. He was moving quickly through the diner in a routine long since perfected, delivering plates and refilling coffee cups. She'd informed him that morning, in a snap of pregnancy hormones, that she was going to continue drinking coffee for the duration of her pregnancy. Luke, having obviously anticipated this declaration, had told her that was fine, but she'd have to look elsewhere for the peanut butter cup pancakes he was planning on making her at the diner that morning.

He was playing mind games with her pregnant, emotional brain, and it wasn't fair.

So now she stood, sweltering in the early July heat, debating her options. She could go to Weston's and have an average cup of coffee with normal, boring, chocolate chip pancakes. Or she could go into the diner, drink a cup of milk, and keep her husband company before she ate what was sure to be the most amazing food he'd ever create for her, but sacrifice her coffee.

"Now I know how Sophie felt," she muttered.

The diner door dinged open and Luke stepped out, smirking at her slightly. "Made a choice yet?" he asked.

Her frown deepened. "You're being mean," she said.

He glanced around for a moment before he said, "You weren't saying that in this shower this morning."

Lorelai's skin flushed and a warm tingle came over her body. "I hate you."

"Again, you're contradicting your very loud proclamations from a couple hours ago."

"Ugh, fine," she said with a scowl. "There better be extra chocolate chips mixed in with those peanut butter cups."

"Fine."

"And I want the largest cup of coffee known to man brought to me in the delivery room," Lorelai demanded.

"Shhh!" he hissed, looking around the diner.

Her frown gave way to an amused smile as she settled onto her stool. "Still keeping it a secret, are we?"

He turned from the kitchen and looked at her. "Aren't we?" he asked.

She shrugged. "The girls know, and we told Liz and TJ last night," she said. "I'll tell Sookie at work, and that's really everyone."

"What about your parents?" he asked.

"Oh, I have that all planned out," Lorelai said.

He crossed his arms over his chest and took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever insane plan she was about to propose to him. "This should be good."

"Okay, so next week they're leaving for the Cape for the rest of the summer," Lorelai reminded him. "While they're there, we'll tell them that we got involved in some underground mob ring and our lives are in danger. We're so threatened that we need the protection of the government, and have to get completely new identities, with no contact with our former lives. Then, in a couple years, when the man who has a hit out for us is killed in a freak lightening storm, we can return to our old lives. At that point, the baby will be old enough to tell them that I was, for a very brief amount of time, several years ago, with child." She looked up at him with an eager nod. "What do you think?"

"That's the most insane thing I've ever heard," he informed her. "And that's saying a lot, coming from you."

"Do _you_ want to tell them?" Lorelai asked.

Glancing around the mostly empty diner, Luke leaned forward and murmured, "I think they'll figure it out on their own."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

He smirked and glanced not so subtly at her chest, where her flowered summer shirt was stretched tighter than it had been the previous year. "You keep wearing shirts like that, the whole damn world is going to know," he commented.

With a blush, Lorelai took a long sip of the water he'd placed in front of her. "One of the not so horrible side effects of pregnancy," she acknowledged.

"My favorite one so far," Luke agreed.

"You're kidding!" Lorelai pretended to be surprised. "I thought it would have been the constant puking."

Luke's face morphed into concern. "Did you get sick again?" he asked. She'd been the first to wake that morning, spending half an hour on the bathroom floor as she'd fought wave after wave of nausea. It disappeared as quickly as it'd come, and she'd instantly been back to her normal self. She'd even graced his shower with her presence halfway through.

"No," Lorelai shook her head. "And I'm actually feeling like a normal human, despite my evil husband not letting me drink coffee."

"She'll be crazy."

"See, I thought you liked that."

"On you, not on my kid."

Lorelai frowned down at her stomach. "We hate Daddy."

Wordlessly, Luke slid a plate of peanut butter cup pancakes across the counter, then placed an array of whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and maple syrup beside it.

"We love Daddy," Lorelai swooned, offering him a grateful smile before she eagerly began pouring toppings onto the pancakes. "Do you have peanut butter?"

"There are peanut butter cups in the pancakes."

"Yeah, but I want to put a layer between the syrup and whipped cream, like a trifle," Lorelai explained.

"Just when I thought your diet couldn't get any more disgusting," he shook his head.

Lorelai pushed the sugar filled plate back to him. "You can throw this away and give me coffee," she permitted. "Or else let me add peanut butter."

Luke reached under the counter and placed a tub of peanut butter between the whipped cream and bag of marshmallows already on the counter. "I'm walking away now."

Gleefully, Lorelai spread the peanut butter across her pancakes and then sprayed a layer of whipped cream on top. "Oh my god, you deserve the Nobel prize of breakfast," she called across the diner to him after her first bite.

With a sigh, Luke leaned back against the counter and shook his head. "How _that_ doesn't make you sick but the smell of grilled chicken does is a mystery," he stated.

Lorelai shrugged. "Don't ask me, ask that smart kid of yours," she said. "I got a very detailed description of exactly how far my uterus has stretched last night."

Luke rolled his eyes. "I'll tell her to stop," he said.

"It's okay," Lorelai waved a hand. "It's how she sees the world. Her researching pregnancy is how she's showing her excitement. It's sweet."

"Still, I didn't exactly need to hear about her thoughts on natural childbirth," Luke replied.

"Good, because I'm getting drugs," Lorelai said.

"Your body, your call," Luke shrugged. He watched as she shoved another bite of sugary goodness into her mouth, then commented, "We need to tell your parents."

"I know," she sighed. "Do you think Rory will do it?"

"Lorelai."

"Or April?"

"No."

"We could hire Kirk to do it," Lorelai suggested. "Or people who look like us. We'll spike the wine and scotch with pills, and they'll never know the difference."

"What's the problem?" Luke asked. "Your mother's been bugging you about having another baby since before we got married."

Lorelai placed her fork on her plate and ran her napkin over her mouth. "Last time I did this wasn't exactly good news for them," she reminded him gently.

Understanding washed over his face and he reached out to wrap a strand of her hair around his finger. "You're not sixteen anymore," he assured her. "You're married, with a house, and an income. They'll be happy."

"I know," she said softly. "But it's just hard to erase those memories. I never really got along with them, but that was the first time I saw hate in their eyes when they looked at me."

"They don't hate you," he assured her. "We've both had our problems with them, but it's because they've cared. In their own way, sure, but they've always wanted you to be happy."

"I know."

"We can tell them together," Luke said. "Go a couple minutes early to their barbeque tomorrow night."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Never would I have thought that Richard and Emily Gilmore would host a Fourth of July barbeque," she commented. She perked up after a moment. "That may work. We'll go, move the candles so they're six and a half inches apart, tell her about the baby, and make a break for it while she's yelling at the catering staff for improper candle placement."

Luke pushed himself off the counter and reached for his dish towel, running it over the countertop. A thoughtful expression had crossed his face, and Lorelai watched him carefully. "What's wrong?" she asked.

He didn't answer her as the final diner patrons approached the counter to pay for their food. Lorelai saw the tightness in his expression as he made change and offered them a curt thanks before he slammed the drawer shut and waited for them to leave. When the door slammed closed and Luke and Lorelai were alone in the diner, he turned to her and asked, "Why are you so hell bent on hiding this?"

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"The baby," Luke said. "Why don't you want to tell your parents?"

"You know them, Luke, once we tell them, we're going to be flooded with child birthing tips from my mother and advice about creating a mutual fund for her from my father," Lorelai said. "It won't be _ours_ anymore."

He regarded her carefully. "It feels like you're ashamed of her," he accused.

Lorelai's jaw dropped. "I thought _I_ was the one to have mood swings and crazy ideas," she said.

"I don't want to fight with you."

"Then don't accuse me of hating our baby!"

"I didn't say that," he said quickly. "I just want you to tell them. They're her grandparents."

"You're the one who was just hushing me for talking about it when there were like four people in the diner," Lorelai reminded him.

"Because I don't want random strangers knowing about this baby before your parents do," Luke replied.

"Since when are you an advocate for the Gilmores?" Lorelai asked.

Luke sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Since telling your parents is going to be the closest thing I'll get to telling _my_ parents," he admitted.

Lorelai's face morphed from irritation to sympathy. "I didn't think about that," she said softly. "I'm sorry, Luke."

"You don't need to be sorry," he said. "I know they're overbearing, and I've had my fair share of negative thoughts about them. But when it comes down to it, you get to tell your parents that you're having a baby. I'll never get that."

"You're right," Lorelai admitted. "I know you miss your parents."

He shrugged. "I got used to it a long time ago," he said.

She looked down at the counter, unsure how to comfort him. "I wish I could help," she said quietly.

"I just want you to be able to share things with them while you can," Luke said. "They've calmed down a lot."

"They have," Lorelai agreed. "You're right, we can go a little early tomorrow and tell them."

"Good," Luke nodded. He was quiet for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry."

She shrugged. "Happens," she said. "I guess it balances us out for me biting your head off about the shampoo last week."

A small smile tugged across his lips. "We're good?"

"We're good," she confirmed with a nod. Looking back down at her plate, she requested, "Can you heat this up for me?"

Luke rolled his eyes but reached for her plate. "You're lucky I love you," he informed her.

She giggled and ran a hand over her stomach. "We love you too," she confirmed.

XXXXX

The following evening, Lorelai looped her arm through Luke's as they stood in front of her parents' house. "What the hell was I thinking?" he muttered.

"I tried to talk you back to sanity," Lorelai reminded him.

"Clearly I've lost it," he said, tugging at the collar of his shirt. "I think I'm suffocating."

"It's not too late," Lorelai said. "We can stick with the original plan of making the baby tell them."

Luke's fingers brushed over her stomach. "I won't subject her to that," he said.

With a deep breath, Lorelai turned to look at him. "It's just tonight," she said. "Then we're Gilmore free until August. We'll have April then, so we can blame our suddenly busy schedule on science fairs and parents' nights."

"I love that girl."

She giggled and squeezed his arm. "They do come in handy for making excuses, those kids," she said. "Let's get this over with."

She rang the bell and they were ushered into the house quickly by a maid. Seeing only caterers bustling around the house, Lorelai led Luke onto the patio, which was equally absent of Richard and Emily.

"Clearly we're not going to start partying a moment before 6:30," Lorelai said seriously.

"Fine by me," Luke shrugged.

"Hey, look," Lorelai said, pointing towards the side of the house. "That's the tree I climbed down when I snuck out."

Luke could see a teenage Lorelai scuffling down the tree in leggings and a denim jacket. "When was the last time you did that?" he asked.

"Oh, about a year and a half ago," Lorelai shrugged. At Luke's surprised look, she shrugged. "That stupid Christmas party when Rory was in London, when my mom made me and Chris come. I ended up crying on my old bedroom floor. In an ironic twist of fate, I was trying to avoid him in the very place I'd once escaped with him."

Luke offered her a sympathetic smile. "Well, if your mother's in her highest form of hostess mode, I might be right behind you tonight," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

Lorelai giggled. "Like you'd let me climb down a tree in my delicate condition," she said.

"Delicate is not a word I'd use to describe you," Luke assured her.

"Oh, really?" Lorelai asked. Her eyes were dancing as they met his. "What _would_ you use?"

"Funny, smart, passionate, beautiful, enthusiastic, determined," he listed, leaning closer. "To name a few."

Lorelai's eyes darkened slightly, but they quickly turned to panic as she took a step back. Before Luke could ask her what was wrong, she clasped a hand over her mouth and turned, bending over the bushes at the side of the house to get sick.

"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, are you drunk?"

Squeezing her eyes closed, Lorelai crouched towards the ground and reminded herself that she wasn't fifteen anymore. She was pretty her mother had caught her in this exact situation at least once before Rory had been born.

Now, though, Luke appeared at her side and pulled her hair off her shoulder in support. He squeezed her shoulder, then helped her to her feet. Lorelai crossed her arms over her stomach and offered her mother a weak smile. "Gilmore Danes," she corrected.

Emily rolled her eyes. "How much have you had to drink?" she asked, eyeing them both suspiciously. "You didn't drive here, did you?"

"Don't worry, Mom, Luke put his beer down when he passed the police station." Lorelai's quick comebacks weren't suffering as a result of her sickness.

"Lorelai!"

"We're not drunk, Mom," Lorelai said.

Emily eyed her suspiciously, but then realization swept across her features. "Richard!" she called over her shoulder. "Lorelai has to talk to us!"

Lorelai took a deep breath and Luke reached to rub her shoulder. "You okay?" he murmured.

"Yeah, just…don't get mad at me if I puke on your shoes," she requested.

"Hello Lorelai, Luke," Richard said with a nod as he appeared beside Emily. "We weren't expecting you so soon."

"Yeah, sorry to show up early," Lorelai said, shifting uncomfortably on her feet. "We had to talk to you."

"Is everything alright?" Richard asked, unaware of Emily trying suppress a grin beside him. "Is Rory okay?"

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Yeah, she's good," she confirmed. After a beat she rested a hand on her stomach and added, "Pretty excited to meet her brother or sister in January."

Emily's face morphed into a full blown smile, and after a moment Richard let out a happy laugh. "Another grandchild!" he exclaimed, turning to look at Emily with a smile.

"We'll have to put an announcement in the Currant," Emily stated.

"I'll call my broker about setting up a trust," Richard added.

"Richard, we have to call the lawyers about the inheritance!" Emily called as she followed her husband into the house, leaving Luke and Lorelai on the patio, surrounded by caterers.

"Congratulations, Lorelai, we're glad you're not going to raise this child in a shed," Lorelai said in a dead on impression of her mother. Deepening her voice, she added in her Richard voice, "Luke, my boy, how about a cigar?"

"Could have gone worse, right?" he asked.

"Trust me, it could have," Lorelai said, her eyes fixed on the couch in the living room as her mind flashed to the moment she'd finally worked up the courage to tell her parents about Rory. She could still see the shock, disapproval, and sadness that had passed over both her parents' faces before they'd displayed their anger.

Suddenly, Emily appeared on the patio again. "Do not give her any alcohol, she's pregnant," she was saying to the bartender. "I want a glass fresh out of the dishwasher if it's being given to her, do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," the bartender nodded.

"Thank you," Emily said crisply. "Now go!"

"Mom, I'm not going to drink alcohol," Lorelai said.

"Lorelai, so much as one sip of alcohol can cause damage," Emily informed her.

"Good thing I only had nine tenths of that tequila shot then."

"Lorelai!"

"I know how to take care of my baby, Mom," Lorelai said. "Plus, Luke's keeping a pretty close eye on what I put in my body."

He could practically hear the _dirty_ she was saying suppressing, and when her eyes flashed to his he could see that he was right.

"Why did you get sick?" Emily demanded. "Is there a particular food I should have the caterers get rid of?"

"Oh, no, they shouldn't throw anything away because of me," Lorelai said.

"Nonsense, with what they're paying them, they should be fishing the lobster out of the ocean and bringing it directly here," Emily said.

"I'm really fi…" Lorelai trailed off as a caterer carried a tray of crab puffs past her and she ran past her mother into the house.

"Get rid of those crab puffs immediately!" Emily shouted to the waiter. "I see another crab puff, I'm calling your supervisor and having you all fired!" She turned back to Luke, and examined him closely. "Is she okay?" she asked after a moment.

"I'll go check…" he started, but Emily shook her head.

"Are _they_ okay?" she corrected herself. "Lorelai and the baby? They're healthy?"

Knowing that Emily was not one to voice her emotions, Luke nodded. "They're good," he said.

"Good," Emily said. She paused and then added, "Make sure they stay that way."

"I will," he nodded.

Emily regarded him for another moment before she stepped aside and gestured to the door. "You might want to check on her," she suggested.

As Luke made his way towards the downstairs bathroom, he heard Emily yell, "I thought I made it very clear that I was not to see another crab puff! I want the name of your manager, he needs to know how incompetent…"

With a shake of his head, Luke tapped his knuckles gently against the door. "Lorelai?" he said softly. "It's me."

"Door's open," Lorelai's voice came.

He slid into the bathroom and sat down on the floor beside her. "You okay?" he asked.

She sighed and slid to the floor, resting her head in his lap. "I'd almost rather be sick all the time," she admitted. "This fine one second, puking the next is getting really old."

Luke ran a gentle hand over her hair. "Do you want to go home?" he asked.

She sighed. "No, just give me a minute," she said. She squeezed her eyes closed and whispered, "If you're good later, Mommy will get you chocolate."

"Already using bribery as a parenting tool," Luke smirked.

"It works, you know."

"Not until her ears are fully developed."

Lorelai sighed and sat up. "I knew getting you that expectant fathers' book would be a mistake," she said.

"I just want to know what's going on," he said.

"I know, and it's cute," Lorelai said. "Help me up?"

Luke stood and then offered Lorelai his hand. She turned on the sink and rinsed out her mouth, then straightened and ran her hands over her navy blue dress. "How do I look?" she asked.

His eyes combed over her body, pausing at her swollen chest before they landed on her still flat stomach. "Hot," he admitted.

She giggled, but shook her head. "I mean, is there anything on my dress?" she asked.

"No," he assured her.

"Good," Lorelai smiled. "Continue ogling."

Luke smiled and reached out to pull her closer, a smirk playing across his lips. "You have no idea how incredibly sexy you are," he murmured.

Surprised by such behavior in her parents' ornate bathroom, Lorelai's eyes darkened. "Yeah?" she asked.

"Yeah," he confirmed.

"Keep talking," she requested, looping her arms around his neck.

Luke leaned down to press a kiss to her lips, his hands resting on her hips. "Maybe it's instinctual, I don't know," he murmured. "I've always wanted you, but now, seeing you pregnant, knowing you're carrying part of me wherever you go, it just makes me…crazy."

Lorelai sighed as she tilted her head back, giving him an open invitation to scatter soft kisses across her neck. "God, I want you," she breathed, her hand lacing through his hair.

He raised his head to meet her eyes. "You're okay?" he asked.

"I'll be better in a few minutes," Lorelai replied, her hands moving to his belt.

"Lorelai," he stopped her, his eyes searching his.

"It's okay, Luke, I thought we were past this, you're not going to hurt the baby," she promised.

"No, I mean, you're feeling okay?" he asked. "I don't want you to feel like you have to."

Lorelai smiled. Even through his desire, he was always sure to think of her. "I know you'd never pressure me," she said. "I want it. I want _you."_

He smiled down at her. "How much?" he asked, his voice low.

Wordlessly, Lorelai took his hand and let him inch her skirt up, his fingers finding proof of her arousal through her panties. "Oh, god, Lorelai," he groaned.

She gasped at the feeling of his fingers stroking her, then bit her lower lip as she reached for his belt.

A loud knock on the door startled them both before she could get the buckle undone, and Luke pulled his hand back as if it had been burned. "Lorelai, I have a tray of lemon slices here!" Emily called. "Olivia Montgomery says that lemon slices are essential in curing nausea during pregnancy."

Lorelai remained pressed against the door, and Luke dropped his forehead to her shoulder, trying to calm himself down. Reality was starting to sink in, and they both realized they clearly couldn't do what they wanted in this particular place.

"Lorelai, is everything alright?" Emily persisted.

Still trying to catch her breath, Lorelai rubbed Luke's shoulder sympathetically and called, "I'm fine, Mom, could you just give me a minute?"

"Certainly, I'll leave the lemons on the hall table," Emily announced.

After a pause, waiting to make sure her mother was really gone, Lorelai pressed a kiss to Luke's temple and murmured, "Well, now we have an instant mood killer if we ever need it."

Luke sighed and pulled back. "How the hell are we grown adults and your parents are interrupting us?" he scowled.

Lorelai offered him a teasing smile. "Remember how you feel in this moment when Rory brings Ethan home," she advised.

Luke's scowl deepened. "There's no way in hell he's staying in her room," he stated.

"Uh huh, sure," Lorelai said. "How well did that work out on our pre-wedding night?"

"Pretty well, until dawn," Luke sighed. Once their respective daughters had managed to fall asleep, both he and Lorelai had managed to sneak out of captivity to watch the sunrise together. To their knowledge, neither daughter had ever learned of their early morning tryst.

Lorelai smiled and kissed him softly. "Let's just stick it out for an hour," she requested. "Then we can go home and you can bring me to the woods to have your way with me."

"What are you talking about?" Luke asked, finally pulling away from her.

"Your fantasy," Lorelai reminded him. "I've got to beat Pedestal Lorelai in all things sex related."

Shaking his head, Luke smiled down at her. "You've got her beat," he promised.

"Okay," Lorelai shrugged. "Then we can go straight home and work on _my_ fantasy."

Luke sighed and reached out to raise one of her arms, tracing his fingers over her wrist. "You really want it?" he asked.

Lorelai allowed herself to imagine the feeling of what it would feel like to have her fantasy come true, to give Luke the power to do whatever he wanted without being able to touch him. Her body warmed at the thought and she felt the throbbing between her legs return. "I do," she nodded. "I know you'd stop if I told you it was too much."

Swallowing hard, Luke shook his head and put his hands on his hips. "This is the worst possible place to discuss this," he finally stated.

"Agreed," Lorelai said. "I'm feeling like a decent human at the moment, let's just go mingle with the other half for a bit. Then we can go home and discuss exactly how dirty we want to be tonight."

"Fine," Luke said. He took a deep breath and ran a hand over his head. "Just…give me a minute."

"Need help calming down?" Lorelai asked, licking her lips as her eyes focused on the bulge in his pants.

"Yes, and you being…alive is not helping," he said shortly.

"Well, there's a significant chance you're going to have to discuss stocks and bonds with my dad tonight," Lorelai said helpfully.

Luke paused and took a deep breath. "Okay, but I just need a second," he stated. "Please?"

With a smirk she nodded. "Got it, my mere existence is a distraction," she said, reaching for the door. "But if you hide in here all night, you're going to owe me big time."

He nodded and followed her out the door. "You think you're joking about your existence," he murmured, dipping his head down to whisper in her ear. "It's true. You make me want you, Lorelai. Everything you do makes me want to take you so hard."

A new wave of arousal washed over Lorelai as they stopped beside the piano. "You're evil," she muttered to him.

"Eye for an eye," he responded, resting his hand on her shoulder and letting his thumb rub a gentle circle over her clavicle.

"Oh, good, you're back!" Emily exclaimed, effectively pulling them both away from their desires for the second time in mere minutes. "Alexandra, Katherine, this is my daughter Lorelai. She's pregnant," she added as if tit defined Lorelai's entire existence.

The two women dressed in inverted red and blue skirt suits each squealed and grabbed onto Lorelai's arms, then reached to rub her stomach as they inundated her with questions.

"How far along are you?"

"You look fantastic!"

"You must start interviewing nannies!"

"What preschools have you considered?"

Lorelai looked over her shoulder and shot Luke a pained look. He simply raised his hands and leaned against the piano, clearly not planning on making any effort to rescue her from her mother's DAR friends.

"Luke, my boy!" Richard's voice boomed. "Meet John and Benjamin, my contacts at the attorney's office. We have some suggestions for mutual fund accounts for your baby."

"Have you spoken with an attorney regarding your inheritance?" one of the men in suits asked.

"What percentage of your income do you allocate to investments?" the other asked.

Lorelai smirked as she watched Luke flounder. He'd been perfectly willing to let her deal with the women of Hartford society on her own, which meant she was going to sink to his level. Plastering a fake smile on her face, she overenthusiastically rubbed her stomach and commented, "Well, we've just been so focused on the little one's cotillion that we haven't even thought about pesky little things like education!"

The women all began firing questions about cotillion at her and Lorelai flashed her husband a triumphant smile. He might have been the one to declare battle when he'd withheld her coffee, but she was about to win the war.

Nearly two hours later, Lorelai was not quite as energetic in her mind games against Luke. After sitting through a lecture about proper maternity clothing and why scheduling her C-section now was essential, Lorelai was completely exhausted. Luke had been dragged into Richard's study an hour earlier, and after a failed attempt to rescue him, Lorelai had escaped to her former bedroom in efforts to get a moment of peace and quiet.

After closing the door behind her, Lorelai glanced around the room and noted the bed, neatly made and strangely inviting, calling out to her. Knowing that she was about to fall asleep on her feet, Lorelai staggered over to the mattress, kicked off her heels in the process, and flopped down on the surface. She'd just close her eyes for a second before she returned to the party.

Thirty seconds later, she felt a warm pair of lips against her forehead before the world began to shake around her. "Luke?" she murmured, recognizing his strong arms and immediately curling into them.

"Shhh," he murmured. "We're heading home."

Trusting him to take care of her, Lorelai allowed herself to nuzzle his neck as the world continued to spin around her.

"Is she alright?" her father's voice sounded distant.

"She's okay, she's been pretty tired."

"You're welcome to stay the night," her mother's voice was slightly more clear. "She looks as though she's dead to the world and it's nearly midnight. She's been up there for almost three hours."

"Thanks," Lorelai could feel the rumble in Luke's chest as he spoke. "But I think she'll be more comfortable at home." Lorelai struggled to raise her head and agree, but couldn't seem to find the strength.

"Alright," Richard's voice was hesitant. "Please let us know if there's anything we can do."

"I will," Luke promised. "Thanks for everything. It was a great party."

Lorelai heard both her parents bid him goodnight, and a moment later she heard the truck door click open. She felt Luke gently place her on the seat, and she wearily opened her eyes to look at him. "I'm tired," she admitted.

"I know," he acknowledged, lifting her right arm. "Let me buckle you, and then you can sleep on the way home."

Lorelai obliged, then immediately rested her forehead against the cool window when he closed the car door. She was about to drift back to sleep, but when she felt the truck began to move she murmured his name. "I'll try to be ready for sex," she said tiredly.

His hand appeared on her knee. "Don't worry about that," he assured her. "Just sleep."

Lorelai sighed deeply. "You're perfect," she whispered.

She felt a squeeze on her knee. "Back at you."

XXXXX

"We're invoking the witness protection plan," Lorelai's voice greeted Luke over the phone a week later.

"What?" he asked, pulling a fresh stack of to go cups out of their plastic sleeve.

"My mother is insane," Lorelai stated.

"Apparently it's genetic."

"You know, you can't make mother/child sanity jokes when your kid is involved," Lorelai snapped, telling him she was in no mood for jokes.

"Sorry," he sighed. "What's wrong?"

"She put out an advertisement in the Currant," Lorelai snapped.

"For what?"

"A nanny!"

"We're not hiring a nanny."

"I know that!" Lorelai's shout was so loud that Luke had to hold the phone away from his ear with a wince. "You think I don't know that, Luke? I don't want our kid raised by a nanny! What I don't know is how the hell to get rid of Mary Poppins and Mrs. Doubtfire! They're lining up outside my inn by the dozen, and barring a freak wind storm that drags them all away by umbrella, I'm going to be dealing with this all day!"

"What do you expect me to do about it?" Luke sighed.

The silence on the other end of the phone was deadly and Luke immediately knew that he was facing more than annoyed Lorelai. He was up against angry, hormonal, pregnant Lorelai, which he was quickly learning was about as fun as cleaning the air conditioning ducts. And a lot less quiet.

"Nothing," she snapped. "I'll take care of it." The phone line went dead and Luke sighed, knowing that he couldn't let this go. There was a very real possibility that she'd change the locks on their house.

"Cesar, I'm leaving for a bit!" he called into the kitchen.

"Sure thing, boss," Cesar said, poking his head around the door with a sympathetic smile. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Luke said. "I'll need it," he added under his breath as he headed out the door. After a beat he turned and headed back to the counter, reaching for a to go cup of coffee. He filled it mostly with decaf but dropped a splash of the real stuff in. As Lorelai's pregnancy advanced, he realized that a sip or two of caffeine could go along way in getting him back on her good side.

He made his way up the steps of the Dragonfly a few minutes later, realizing that Lorelai hadn't been exaggerating. There were four women waiting on the porch, and almost a dozen seated in the lobby. Michel was standing behind the desk, interacting with yet another nanny in a polite and sarcastic manner.

"Yez, it is a complete tragedy that she won't be needing your services any longer," he stated. "She never saw zee bus coming."

"Michel, where's Lorelai?" Luke asked, not willing to sit through his act.

Michel glanced at him with weariness. "She has been very angry," he stated. "She ez riding that creature."

Luke frowned as he implied that Lorelai had disappeared to the stables. It wasn't unusual for her to ride when she was stressed, but he wasn't sure he liked the thought of her doing so when she was pregnant. Somehow it didn't seem safe for the baby. Muttering his thanks, he quickly fought his way back through the army of nannies and made his way to the stables. He entered the barn and stopped, watching his wife as she ran a brush over Desdamona's mane, her back to him.

"You get it," Lorelai was murmuring. "No one else does. We're the ones who are completely responsible. Good or bad, no matter what happens, it's our fault, at least until we give birth." She paused, stepping back and running her hand over the horse's midsection. "Is it as hard for you? Are you as tired as I am? I don't think anyone has ever been this tired, but I guess horses can feel that way too. Your baby's much bigger than mine." After a beat, she continued, "At least you don't have the pressure. You've got biology and instinct on your side, and no one will judge you. Me, if I make one wrong step, I'm labeled a horrible mother for all of eternity."

Unable to listen to her talk like that, Luke cleared his throat and made his presence known. "You're not a horrible mother," he stated.

She turned to look at him tiredly, barely surprised by his presence. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Luke stepped closer and held out the coffee cup. "Trying to get rid of Mary Poppins and Mrs. Doubtfire," he offered.

She sighed, but didn't smile. "I can handle it," she said.

"I know," he acknowledged. "That doesn't mean you _should._ If your mom did this for our kid, I'll help take care of it."

Lorelai's arms remained stubbornly crossed over her chest for a moment before she relented and reached for the coffee. "Thank you," she relented. She took a sip and stepped outside, sliding to a seat on the ground and resting her back against the stable wall.

Luke took a seat next to her and watched her for a moment. "So the horse is pregnant too, huh?" he asked.

"Must be something in the water," Lorelai replied flatly. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough," Luke shrugged. "I get that you're tired and this is an adjustment, but it's not like being a mother is new to you. Are you really that scared about the baby?"

Lorelai's finger traced around the rim of the coffee cup. "Why does she still think I can't do it?" she whispered. "I know I took her precious Rory away from her and raised her like a heathen, but I thought we were past it. I thought she had more confidence in my parenting."

"You didn't raise Rory like a heathen," Luke countered. "She's perfect."

"I know," Lorelai said. "But apparently my mother still thinks we need to have a stupid professional do the child rearing for us."

Luke reached out and placed a hand on her knee. Knowing her feelings were hurt and she was in the middle of a hormonal upset, he could only remind her she wasn't alone.

"It was so horrible," Lorelai said. "Having those nannies around all the time when I was growing up. She went through those faster than she goes through maids now. I had one I loved, Stephanie. She was fun and played with me in the pool and everything. But my mom fired her when she realized I actually liked her. She kept blaming me, saying I was too difficult to handle, but now I think she just didn't want me to get too close to someone else."

"I'm sorry," he offered.

A tear spilled down her cheek and his heart ached for her when she turned to look at him. "I don't want our kid to think we don't love her," she confessed.

"She won't," Luke said firmly. His finger traced over her stomach and he offered her a positive smile. "Lorelai, this baby will be the most loved kid in the world."

She finally allowed a smile to trace across her face as her hand joined his. "Well, the entire town has been waiting for her for years now," she admitted.

Pleased he'd managed to elicit a smile out of her, Luke rested his hand flat against her stomach. "It will take some managing, some schedule juggling, but we'll take care of her on our own. You did it on your own with Rory, we can certainly do it together."

"I know," she sighed. "I'm just a mess right now."

"It's okay."

"I'm sorry I yelled on the phone."

"I know you're not feeling well, it's okay."

"It's not okay," Lorelai shook her head. "You're trying so hard, I know you are. You held my hair back when I was sick and brought me coffee even though you don't want me to drink it. And I just keep yelling at you."

"I can take it."

She sniffled and ran her hand across her eyes. "You shouldn't have to," she said. "This is happening to you too."

"Yeah, but you have to deal with the physical side of things," Luke said. "I'm just doing what I can to help you feel better."

A faint glimmer appeared in Lorelai's eyes. "For the record, that thing you did with your tongue last night was _excellent_ in making me feel better," she told him.

"I gathered from the screaming."

"I'll repay the favor tonight."

"If you're feeling up to it," he said.

She sighed. "I don't deserve you," she admitted.

"Well, you're stuck with me, so get used to it," he said gruffly, but his gaze was soft as he looked at her.

"I can't wait until we leave," Lorelai said. "A week holed up in the woods with you sounds so perfect."

"Yeah, it does," Luke agreed. "Only another week."

"Everyone says I'll feel better in the second trimester," Lorelai said. "So hopefully you'll have your wife with you instead of a puking, sobbing, yelling mess."

"You're not a mess, you're pregnant," he said. His voice was full of wonder at the word.

She shrugged and took a long sip of coffee. "You have to go back to work," she told him.

"Not if you need me here."

"I made Michel handle it," she shrugged.

"Yeah, he's telling them they're not needed anymore because you got hit by a bus," Luke said.

She shook her head. "Sometimes his twisted sense of humor comes in handy," she admitted. With a final tilt of her head, she finished her coffee and stood. "Go back to work, I'll see you at home."

Luke stood with her and ran a finger over her chin. "You're okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "Thanks for coming."

"Anytime." He leaned down to kiss her, then pulled back slightly. "Call me when you're on your way home, I'll draw a bath for you."

A full fledged smile came across her face and she reached up to cup his face in her hands. She pulled him into another kiss, then said, "You're so my favorite husband."

XXXXX

Luke was striking a match to light the final candle in their bathroom, the tub already filled with Lorelai's favorite bubbles, when he heard her footsteps on the stairs. He lit the candle and shook the match out before he turned to see her leaning against the doorway with a smile on her face. He was relieved to see that she seemed to be in a good mood.

"Luke Danes, surrounded by candles and drawing a bubble bath," she marveled. "Never thought I'd see this day."

He shrugged self consciously. "Yeah, well…"

"There's the man I'm used to," she sighed. "Thanks, Luke, this is perfect."

"No problem," he said, reaching to squeeze her hand. "Enjoy."

"Wait," she said as he turned towards the door. "Stay with me."

"You had a long day, it's okay if you want some time to yourself," Luke said.

"I don't," she said. "I want some time with my husband."

He looked at her closely, unable to resist her wide eyes and hopeful smile. "Okay," he said.

She beamed in response, then stepped closer. "Will you get in with me?" she asked.

"I don't take baths."

"Fine," she sighed, stepping back and pulling her shirt over her head. "I'll get naked and wet all by myself."

"You know you…" Luke's voice trailed off as she stepped out of her skirt. His eyes widened as he took in the slight swell of her stomach. It was barely noticeable, and he was sure that no one else would be able to see it. But he was very familiar with her body, and knew that his baby was officially making herself known.

"I what?" Lorelai asked, dropping her bra on the ground. "Luke?"

He shook his head slightly. He knew better than to ruin Lorelai's good mood than mention the changes in her body. "You're beautiful," he finished.

She smiled as she followed his gaze and looked down at her stomach. "You see it too?" she asked.

Luke hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "See what?" he asked.

Lorelai laughed. "It's okay, Luke, I'm not going to get mad," she promised. "My stomach's starting to grow."

He nodded and reached out to trace a finger from her belly button to the top of her panties. "I know better than to bring it up," he said.

"Smart man," Lorelai said. She looked down at their hands and smiled. "It's our baby, Luke, she's growing."

"She is," Luke confirmed. "She's perfect."

"At the moment, yes, she is," Lorelai nodded. She started to slid her underwear down her legs, her eyes widening as she watched Luke start to unbutton his flannel. "What are you doing?"

"Getting in with you," he said, dropping the shirt on the floor. "If you still want me to."

Her eyes danced with excitement. "Oh, I want," she confirmed. She perched on the edge of the tub and watched as he shed his clothing. "If this kid can get you to take a bath just by making me fat, I can't wait to see what you'll do for her when she learns how to pout."

"God help me," Luke sighed.

"You first," Lorelai said. When he'd slid into the warm water, Lorelai twisted her hair into a clip on the back of her head, then slid in front of him. She settled between his legs and leaned back into him. His arms automatically wrapped around her waist and her hands rested above his on her stomach. "See, it's not so bad, is it?" she murmured.

Luke leaned down to press a kiss to her shoulder. "Not bad at all," he confirmed.

Lorelai sighed happily and closed her eyes, her head falling back against his shoulder. "How was your day?" she murmured.

"Fine," he replied against the soft skin of her shoulder. "It was quiet at the diner."

She sighed as she traced a finger over his forearm. "You're sure it'll be okay to leave for our trip?" she asked.

"Positive," he nodded. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Good," she sighed. She remained nestled in his arms for a moment before she leaned forward to fiddle with the Jacuzzi controls. A moment later, the jets kicked on, and she turned in his arms with a smile. "You've been taking such good care of me," she murmured.

He reached out to run a hand up and down her arm. "Doing my job," he promised.

"Let me thank you," she whispered, resting her hands on his shoulders and pressing a knee to either side of his hips. She leaned in to kiss him and felt him begin to respond to her.

"Lorelai," he sighed.

She leaned forward and kissed him deeply, her hands resting on his chest. "You got in the bath with me," she murmured against his lips. "You might as well get something out of it."

"Hmm, holding you close when you're naked and wet, don't know why I ever said no," he breathed.

She giggled and rocked back and forth on his lap slightly. "Let me take care of you," she said softly, reaching between them to run his fingers over his length.

He moaned and wrapped his arm around her, tugging her closer. "What you do to me…" he groaned.

With a soft sigh, Lorelai guided him towards her, then slowly lowered herself onto him. His head fell back against the porcelain tub with a low groan, and she bit her lower lip as she slowly took him in. "God, Luke, you feel so good," she whispered.

He gripped her hips tightly, and she braced her hands on his shoulders. She leaned back slightly to allow him to slip deeper into her, and he sighed in pleasure as he felt her warmth surrounding him. Lorelai was still for a moment before she leaned in to kiss him, her hair framing both of their faces. She pulled back and looked deeply into his eyes.

"Tell me," she demanded. "Tell me how you want me."

Luke could see the desire in her eyes, and he swallowed hard as he pulled her down for another kiss, his tongue slipping into her mouth to battle hers for power. "Please, Lorelai," he gasped.

A playful glimmer peered in her eyes. "Please what?" she asked, twirling her hips in a figure eight motion.

"Oh god," Luke gasped. He was quickly losing all ability to think clearly. "I need you, Lorelai."

She took a deep breath and nodded, rocking her hips up before she slid back onto him, creating a steady rhythm as she braced her hands on Luke's shoulders.

He let her take the lead, leaning his head against the back of the tub and watching as Lorelai moved carefully and deliberately above him. Her hair was curling around her face and her eyes were dark with desire. She was biting her lower lip as she rocked over him, and he could tell she was holding back.

"Hey," he grabbed her hips and stopped her motions, lacing his hands through her hair as he pulled her down for a passionate kiss. "Don't hold back."

She nodded and returned the kiss before she straightened again. She began to rock faster over him, her hands moving from his shoulders to the wall behind them for better leverage. Her moans mixed with his own, and she leaned over him so her breasts were eye level with him. He reached out to cup them in his hands, causing Lorelai to let out a soft cry of pleasure.

"You like that, don't you?" he murmured, his voice low.

"Yes," she gasped breathlessly. "Oh, god, Luke, you have no idea how good you feel."

She sank onto him again, forcing him into her as far as he could go, and he reached for her hips to hold her tightly in place. "I think I get it," he breathed into her ear.

"You fit me so well," she gasped, her head falling back. "You feel so good, Luke, I'm so close."

He gently lifted her and pulled her back down, guiding her motions over him. "So amazing," he said. "You feel incredible, I could do this forever."

"Please," she gasped, throwing herself against his chest as she began moving faster. "Please, Luke, don't ever stop."

Knowing she was ready to fall, Luke reached under the water and stroked her gently, watching as her eyes widened with awareness. "Oh, yes," she gasped. "Luke…yes!"

Hearing her call his name forced him to fall with her, and he let out his own satisfied sigh as he felt himself release into her. Lorelai trembled around him and then wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, trying to catch her breath. "Oh my god, I love pregnant sex," she finally gasped.

He laughed and ran his hands gently over her back. "Makes two of us," he said. After a moment, as he came down from his Lorelai induced high, he realized the bath water had gone tepid and squeezed her gently. "We should get you out before you get sick," he suggested.

Lorelai sighed and pulled back, kissing him one last time before she slid out of the tub. Luke climbed out behind her and watched in appreciation as she toweled herself off. She lingered for an extra moment on her stomach, then wrapped the towel around herself and tucked it into itself before she turned to him. "Enjoying the show?" she asked with a smirk.

"You have no idea," he sighed, finally reaching for his own towel.

Lorelai rolled her eyes and turned back to the tub, draining the water and blowing out the candles. She disappeared into their bedroom and when Luke joined her a moment later she was buttoning the flannel she'd always slept in. "You know, I need to go shopping," she informed him as he slipped into a clean pair of jeans.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

Lorelai pulled the flannel tight over her torso. "Because your baby is making me fat," she informed him. "I tried three pairs of pants this morning, and even the flippy skirt wouldn't zip."

"You haven't gained that much weight," he commented.

"Not yet, but eventually I'm going to wake up with a stomach the size of a basketball," Lorelai replied. "And do you _really_ want to be caught in the crossfire if I have nothing to wear that day?"

Luke cringed. "I guess not," he sighed.

"Plus, according to Sookie, they make sexy pregnancy lingerie," Lorelai continued. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind that particular purchase."

He cleared his throat and shook his head. "You could wear a paper bag and still be sexy as hell," he informed her.

"Okay, no lingerie," Lorelai shrugged.

"Well…" Luke started, wondering how to backtrack. "I wouldn't exactly _complain_ if you were to wear something like that."

She giggled and stepped forward to kiss him. "Don't worry, it's on the list," she said. "Liz and I are going shopping tomorrow."

"And by shopping you do mean going to an actual store, right?" he asked. "Not some stupid hippie camp where everything's made of canvas and hemp?"

"She's the one who's done this recently," Lorelai shrugged as they walked down the stairs. "And even last time I didn't have much luck in the clothing department. They don't exactly make maternity clothes that appeal to teenagers."

"Wonder why," Luke said sarcastically.

Lorelai playfully shoved his arm. "Don't judge me, I was bored and lonely," she said.

"I've never judged you for that," he countered. "I love Rory, you know that."

"I do," she confirmed as she hopped onto the kitchen counter. "And you, darling husband, are one of the few who never had the look."

"The look?" Luke asked, glancing at her as he pulled some chicken out of the fridge. "This okay?"

"As long as it's baked, not grilled," she nodded.

"Okay," he said. "What look?"

She shook her head slightly. "Come on, Luke, strange girl gets off the bus with a baby," she said. "You know this town, as much as everyone came to accept me and Rory, there's a certain look I'd get when people realized I was Rory's mom, not her sister or her baby sitter."

He frowned at her. "You never told me that," he said.

"I can't really blame them," Lorelai said. "It wasn't mean, it was just…surprise and pity. Even Mia had it the first time I saw her. Sookie too."

"I never pitied you," he said quietly. "I thought you were strong and brave."

"Well, by the time we met things had already started to look up," she said.

He nodded slowly. "I heard about you," he finally admitted quietly, his eyes focused on coating the chicken with lime juice.

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"When you first moved to Stars Hollow," Luke explained. "I heard about the new maid at the inn who had a baby."

Lorelai nodded slowly. "And what did you think?" she asked.

"I thought it was sad that you felt like you had to run away from your family," Luke said. "And I hated that people were talking about you like that."

She smiled softly. "So protective Luke existed before we even met," she teased.

"Guess so," he sighed. "Mia and my mom were really good friends, so she came into the store sometimes to check on us after my mom died. She told my dad and me about you right after you got here."

"She did?" Lorelai asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Luke nodded. "She wanted my dad's opinion. Liz had just left with Jess and she wanted to know what he would want her to do if it had been Liz who'd showed up like you did."

"Wow," Lorelai murmured. It made her feel special somehow that Luke's dad had at least known of her existence, even if she'd never had the chance to meet him. "So I have him to thank, huh?"

"Nah, Mia would have taken you in anyways," Luke shrugged.

Lorelai was quiet for a moment. "Why do you think she never introduced us?" she asked. "She was like a mom to me, and she was close to your family. It's weird we never met before I bought the house."

Luke shrugged. "Well, I was with Rachel at the time," he said. "I'd just graduated high school, and you had a baby. She probably knew timing wasn't right."

"I guess," Lorelai said. "Do you think we would have made it here? If she'd introduced us when I'd first arrived?"

"I don't know," Luke said honestly. He turned to look at her and regarded her carefully. His mouth opened, but then he closed it and shook his head.

"What is it?" Lorelai asked curiously.

"Nothing," he dismissed, turning to the oven.

"Luke," she implored softly, and he sighed before he turned to her.

"It's not that I don't wish we would have worked things out sooner," he admitted. "But if we'd met and gotten together in 1985…I wouldn't have met Anna and I wouldn't have April. You and I were kids at the time, we couldn't have made it work like we have now."

Realization dawned on Lorelai, and she nodded. "I get it," she said. "Rory was my whole life, for a long time. But there was always this voice, sometimes louder than others, asking what would have happened if I hadn't gotten pregnant, or if I'd given her up for adoption. It reared its head during the nights when she refused to sleep or when I should have been moving into college. I'd wonder…what if, but then Rory would hug me or laugh and I'd realize that it didn't matter, because I had her."

"We've done okay," Luke said, offering her a small smile.

She reached out and pulled him closer. "More than okay," she insisted. "Our life is pretty damn perfect at the moment."

Luke leaned in to kiss her and leaned his forehead against hers. "Agreed," he confirmed.

XXXXX

The following afternoon, Lorelai led Liz up their front path as she juggled her shopping bags in her hands. "This was so perfect," she sighed.

"I'm just so happy you're pregnant too!" Liz exclaimed. "It's like a movie, two pregnant sisters in law going shopping together."

"Sounds like a contender for an Academy Award," Lorelai nodded. "How do you think he did with Doula?"

"Oh, I'm sure he did wonderfully," Liz exclaimed. "He loves that little girl."

Lorelai smiled as she pushed the front door open. "He really does," she confirmed. The house was quiet when they stepped inside, and Liz gestured to the bathroom.

"I'll be right back," she said.

Lorelai nodded, tossed her shopping bags on the stairs, and wandered curiously into the living room. She swallowed hard at the sight that met her.

Luke was laying on his back on the couch, with Doula draped across his chest. His arms were wrapped securely around the toddler, and both of them were sound asleep. A cartoon show was flashing across the muted TV, and stuffed animals and books were strewn across the coffee table and floor.

Suddenly, Lorelai was looking a year into their future, when this would be an everyday occurrence. She rested a hand on her stomach as she allowed herself to picture coming home from work to this very scene, or to Luke giving their baby a bath, reading her a story, cooking dinner…a thousand completely normal moments flashed through her mind and she couldn't wait.

With a small smile, she moved into the room, running her hand over Doula's back as she sat down on the edge of the coffee table. She leaned forward to press a kiss to her niece's soft blonde hair before she turned to do the same to her husband. He stirred at her touch, and his long eyelashes fluttered open.

"Hey," he whispered when he saw her.

"Hi," she said, nodding to Doula. "She's figured out my secret."

"Secret?" Luke whispered, trailing his fingers through Doula's hair.

"Who needs pillows when a girl's got you?" Lorelai asked.

A self conscious smile came across Luke's face. "We were watching TV and she dozed off," he shrugged. "She was comfortable, so I didn't want to move her."

"Well, it's completely adorable," Lorelai confirmed. "Good practice."

His eyes softened and he glanced down at her stomach. "Good practice," he agreed. After a moment he kissed Doula's forehead and shifted, placing her sleeping form on the couch and following Lorelai into the kitchen. "How was shopping?" he asked.

"Good, I got this really cute pair of boots!" Lorelai said enthusiastically.

"Why?"

"Because they were eleven thousand percent off," Lorelai replied. "And they'll match my new dress perfectly."

"Did you get any practical clothing?" he asked, pouring her a glass of juice.

"Dresses are the most practical thing I could buy," Lorelai said. "I got a bunch of stretchy ones so they'll be comfortable for the duration of my pregnancy."

"Oh," he shrugged. "Good."

"Fashion talk over, got it," Lorelai nodded.

"Where's Liz?"

"Right here," Liz said. "I was checking on my girl. Thanks for taking good care of her."

"It wasn't a problem," Luke shrugged. "But we will expect you to return the favor in a year or so."

"You got it," Liz said. She collapsed into a chair and looked at Lorelai. "You're still skinny and energetic, I'm jealous."

"I fell asleep at eight thirty last night," Lorelai reported. "And my pants don't fit. So you're in good company here."

Liz waved a hand in dismissal. "Have you considered those classes yet?" she asked.

Luke cleared his throat from across the kitchen and Lorelai offered him a sympathetic smile. They'd agreed that there was no way in hell they were going to attend grog booth Annie's workshop on sex during pregnancy, but apparently Luke hadn't passed that memo along to Liz.

"We've got it covered, but thanks," Lorelai said simply.

"Okay, but you've got to make sure you listen to your body," Liz informed her helpfully. "TJ always makes sure he…"

A loud crash came from the other side of the kitchen and Lorelai saw Luke standing over a pile of shattered glass that had formerly been their mixing bowl.

"Oops," he said sarcastically as he met her eyes.

Lorelai fought off laughter and Liz made her way to the living room when she heard Doula calling. Turning back to her husband, Lorelai informed him, "You ever wake our sleeping kid by throwing glass across the room and I'll kill you."

"I'm sorry, did you _want_ to hear about TJ and Liz's bedroom habits?" he asked.

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "Point taken, nice save," she said. She stood from the table and reached under the sink for the dustpan and brush. She started to brush the glass into the pan and commented, "You might want to get the vacuum. Those tiny pieces we won't get with the broom can get caught in Doula's feet. Or Paul Anka's."

Luke disappeared into the laundry room and appeared a moment later rolling the vacuum in front of him. Lorelai stood to dump the contents of the dust pan into the trash can, but suddenly felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She braced herself against the wall for a moment, squeezing her eyes shut as she inhaled deeply.

"Lorelai?" she heard the vacuum shut off and felt Luke gently take the dustpan from her hands. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said. "I think I just stood up too fast."

His hand appeared on her arm, and she wavered slightly on her feet. "Here." Luke disappeared and a moment later he was back, guiding her to sit down. "Are you okay?"

Sitting made her feel better, and she nodded, smiling at his concern. "Yeah," she said. "Just part of this wonderful, magical time."

He sighed sympathetically. "I'll get you some water," he said.

"Thanks," she said softly. She watched with fondness as he poured her a tall glass of water and then returned to her side. "You take such good care of us."

"I just want you to be healthy," he murmured. "Both of you."

"I know," Lorelai replied. "And that's why I bought a brand new bathing suit for your viewing pleasure when we get to Maine tomorrow."

He smiled and ran a hand over her thigh. "Looking forward to it," he confirmed.

Liz appeared in the doorway with Doula in her arms. "We're going to get going," she said. "TJ's going to be wondering where we are."

"Let me take her, she's too heavy," Luke insisted, pulling Doula into his arms.

"You're such a good uncle," Liz informed him.

Lorelai stood and walked to Luke's side, taking in how good he looked holding his niece. Again, she couldn't wait to see him hold their baby in his arms. "And an excellent father," she added onto Liz's statement.

He blushed self consciously, then turned to Doula. "You have fun today?" he asked her.

"Yes!" she cried.

"Good," he said. "Remember what we talked about?"

"Baby," Doula pointed to Liz. She turned to Lorelai and added, "Baby."

Lorelai felt her emotions begin to overwhelm her again. "That's right, pretty girl," she nodded. "It's a baby."

"Thanks for a great afternoon, Lorelai," Liz said genuinely. "Have fun in Maine!"

"We will," Lorelai said. "Thanks."

Luke set Doula on her feet and leaned in to kiss Liz's cheek. "Let us know if you need anything," he requested.

"I will," she nodded. "Thanks for watching her."

"We had fun," Luke confirmed.

With a final wave, Liz took Doula's hand and led her slowly towards the front hall. With a sigh, Luke turned to Lorelai, who was watching him with a happy smile. "You ready for this?" she asked.

He pushed off the counter and pulled her into his arms. "I've been ready," he confirmed.

"Good, because it's here," she said, draping her arms over his shoulders. "We're going to be parents again."

He offered her a wide smile and stroked a hand over her stomach. "We're going to be parents again," he confirmed before he leaned down to kiss her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello Everyone! I'm glad so many people were excited to see this follow up to Overjoyed. It's been exciting for me to bring this next part of Luke and Lorelai's life to life in my head.**

 **Just an FYI: I've never had a baby, so please forgive any details regarding Lorelai's pregnancy that may not be 100% accurate. I always thought that Lorelai would have been hilarious pregnant, and I'm going to try to do her character justice in this story.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Hello, Lorelai!" Emily smiled widely as she pulled the door to her house open three weeks later. "Hello, Luke."

"Hi, Mom," Lorelai said as Luke chimed in a greeting of his own.

"How are you feeling?" Emily asked as she led them into the living room. "Richard, they're here!"

"I'm pretty good," Lorelai said as she accepted a glass of sparkling water and headed for the couch. "I had my twelve week appointment yesterday."

"Stand up," Emily commanded.

"What?" Lorelai asked suspiciously.

"Stand up, it's been a month since I've seen you," Emily said as if it was some sort of explanation.

Lorelai turned to Luke. "Am I invisible if I remain sitting?" she asked.

"Lorelai!" Emily cried. "I want to see if you're showing."

With a roll of her eyes, Lorelai placed her glass on the table and stood. "Happy, Mom?" she asked.

Emily examined Lorelai's abdomen closely. "Why don't you look pregnant?" she asked.

Fighting the urge to snap and blame it on hormones, Lorelai gathered her loose summer top and pulled it tight against her abdomen, which seemed to get a bit bigger every day. Her bump was hardly visible even when she tightened the shirt over herself, but she prayed her mother would notice even the most miniscule of changes. "Pregnant enough for you?" she asked.

After a moment of crucial observation, Emily sat back in her chair. "You look lovely, Lorelai," she said.

"Thanks, Mom," Lorelai resumed her seat beside Luke, who reached to rub her knee gently.

"Hello Lorelai, Luke," Richard said as he appeared in the room. "Lorelai, you're looking well."

"Thanks, Dad," Lorelai said with a smile. "We brought you something."

"We have something for you as well," Emily replied.

"Oh, well, by all means, go first," Lorelai said, setting the envelope she'd pulled from her purse in her lap.

With an excited smile, Emily pulled two gift bags from behind her chair and handed one to each Luke and Lorelai. Luke's eyes widened slightly, but Lorelai shook her head. "Don't worry, they're probably not for us," she assured him.

"What?" he asked.

Lorelai turned from him and tore into her bag, nodding as she held up a tiny silver spoon. "Unless I've suddenly become a giant, this is for the baby," she deduced.

"Of course it's for the baby," Emily said as if it were obvious. "You and Rory have ones exactly like it. It's from this quaint little blacksmith shop on the Cape. They don't use any electricity, you know, it's all created by hand."

"Wow, how retro," Lorelai commented, then poked Luke in the shoulder. "Open yours!"

Tentatively, Luke reached into the bag and pulled out a small silver picture frame.

"For your child's portrait," Richard felt the need to explain.

"Darn, we were planning on using it to decorate Paul Anka's dog house," Lorelai snapped her fingers in disappointment.

"Thank you," Luke ignored his wife. "It was nice of you to think of us."

"And we have the companion piece to the frame," Lorelai said, handing an envelope to her mother.

"Lorelai, you can't give someone a gift in an envelope," Emily admonished. "You should at least…" Her voice trailed off as she slid the contents out and her hand went to her mouth. "Oh, Lorelai..."

Richard stood to look over her shoulder, and nodded approvingly. "I must say it's one of the finest looking ultrasounds I've ever seen," he praised.

Lorelai reached out to take Luke's hand. "Thanks, Dad," she said.

"What's this?" Emily asked, holding up a DVD slip.

"Oh, when we went yesterday we got a video," Lorelai replied. "They gave us a copy."

"You can hear the heartbeat too," Luke added, still feeling slightly overwhelmed at the memory of the soft whooshing sound that had filled the exam room the day before.

Emily and Richard exchanged a glance and Lorelai cleared her throat. "You can watch it la…" she stopped talking when she realized that her parents seemed to be racing each other to the den. "Or right now works too."

Luke patted her knee and looked at her carefully. "You feeling okay?" he asked.

The question had become one he asked multiple times a day, and she nodded. "Yeah," she nodded. "Sorry I was such bad company on the ride here."

"You're tired, I get it," he shrugged. With a smirk, he added, "It was nice and quiet."

Lorelai rolled her eyes and stood. "I'm going to go see my baby now," she said. "You can stay here and think about how you're going to make up for that comment."

He stood and leaned closer, brushing a hand over her shoulder. "Peanut butter cup pancakes tomorrow morning?" he asked.

Lorelai contemplated, then nodded. "All is forgiven," she nodded.

"Good," he said, taking her hand.

She led him down the hall to the den, where Richard and Emily were both sitting on the edge of the couch as they studied the television screen. Lorelai sat down beside her mother and followed their gaze while Luke shoved his hands in his pockets and studied the image of his baby that filled the screen.

"Here," Lorelai said after a moment. She reached for the remote and turned the volume up, causing the baby's heartbeat to pour through the speakers.

Emily nodded as she continued to examine the screen. "It's a beautiful baby, Lorelai," she said formally.

Lorelai turned to offer her mother a small smile. "Thanks, Mom," she said sincerely.

After another moment the image went blank, and Richard stood, rubbing his hands together. "This calls for a celebration," he announced. "Luke, how about a cigar?"

Taken aback by the offer, Luke floundered for an explanation. "Oh, I…"

"Sorry, Dad, Luke's had to give up his cigar habit because the smell makes me sick," Lorelai came to his rescue. He shot her a grateful look, and she continued, "He's also had to give up his Axe body spray and diet of sardines and pickles."

"Richard, honestly, Lorelai can't be around cigar smoke, she's pregnant," Emily explained.

Lorelai stood. "Yeah, Dad, that wasn't the TV's baby you were just watching," she added. With an overdramatic rub of her stomach, she said, "Pre-recorded dinner entertainment, straight from in here."

"Could you be more crude?" Emily's usual annoyed tone returned.

"Yes," Lorelai confirmed. "The baby was…"

Luke clamped a hand over Lorelai's mouth and asked pointedly, "So when will dinner be ready?"

Emily looked down at her watch and rolled her eyes. "It should have been ready ten minutes ago!" she exclaimed. "Richard, we have got to find a new agency."

"I think you've exhausted all the options in the tri-state area, Emily," Richard countered.

Lorelai shoved Luke's hand away from her mouth and commented, "Give us sixteen years and you'll have a legacy at your hands," she pointed to her stomach.

Emily scowled. "That's not funny, Lorelai," she stated.

"You must want more for your child," Richard added.

"Yes, we're _really_ hoping for a smart one this time," Lorelai confirmed.

Although exasperated at Lorelai's rate of joke making, fast even for her, Luke had to admit that he was glad to see her playful side returning. She'd been exhausted lately, but he was starting to think she'd been saving her zingers for her parents.

Emily turned to Luke. "How you deal with this every day, I have no idea," she informed him.

He shrugged as he looked to Lorelai. "Usually I just put pie in front of her and she's distracted," he revealed.

Lorelai gasped. "All these years you've given me pie, I thought it was because of your undying love for me and gratitude for my exuberant presence in your life," she commented. "And now I find out you're using it to distract me?"

"It works," he explained simply as they followed Richard and Emily into the dining room.

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "Eh, as long as I keep getting pie, I won't complain why," she said.

"So how was Maine?" Emily asked after the salads were served.

"Wonderful," Lorelai admitted. "Luke's cabin is right on a lake, and it was so relaxing. Exactly what we needed."

"And how's Rory?" Richard asked. "Her articles are becoming more frequent, I've noticed."

Lorelai beamed proudly. "She's doing really well," she said. "She loves the campaign life. I wouldn't be surprised if she went to work for some sort of political publication after the election."

"She's talking to a couple magazines in Boston," Luke added.

Emily's face lit up. "Boston, that's so close!" she exclaimed. "We'd get to see her all the time."

"Yes, that was high on her pro list," Lorelai stated.

"Have you hired a nanny yet?" Emily asked casually.

Lorelai's face tightened. "We're not hiring a nanny, Mom," she said.

"Why not?" Emily asked in surprise. "If it's a matter of funds, we'd be happy to…"

"We're not hiring a nanny because we want to raise our kid ourselves," Lorelai replied.

"Lorelai, it takes time to find a good nanny," Emily said in an exasperated tone. "I put that advertisement in the paper to give you time to find someone you're comfortable with."

"Mom, I was still in my first trimester!" Lorelai exclaimed. "That's way too soon to be thinking about things like nannies. Half the time I was trying to figure out if I was nauseous or hor… hungry."

Luke coughed and caught her eyes across the table. He decided to take pity on her and intervene. "We appreciate your thought, Emily," he said, hoping he sounded remotely sincere. "But Lorelai and I want to do this our way."

"Thank you," Lorelai said. "I did it on my own last time and got a Yale graduate out of it. Can you imagine what this kid will do with _two_ parents?"

Emily glanced between the two of them for a moment before she relented. "All right," she said. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

"Oh, Emily, you're being paranoid," Richard chimed in from across the table. "Lorelai did an excellent job with Rory, and I'm sure she and Luke will raise their child just as appropriately."

It was her father's version of support, and Lorelai smiled at him gratefully. "Thanks, Dad," she whispered.

He nodded, then turned to Luke. "How is April?" he asked. "Preparing for her tenure at Chilton?"

"Yeah, she gets here next week," Luke replied. "She's looking forward to it."

"Hey, could you put in a good word with Headmaster Charleston for us? Rory and I aren't exactly high on his list of favorite people in the world, and April shouldn't suffer because of that."

"Already done," Richard confirmed. "Although why that man thinks that wild girl getting into trouble at Yale was Rory's fault is beyond me."

Emily turned to Luke. "I know there is a certain line that has been drawn," she said. "But you tell that girl that if she ever needs anything, she can certainly come here. She's always welcome."

Luke could hear the sincerity in Emily's gaze and nodded appreciatively. "Thank you," he said. He could recall a few times that Rory had escaped to her grandparents' in the midst of snow storms and bus driver strikes. Although he didn't relish the idea of April spending a ton of time in the Gilmore house, it was nice to know that she'd have a place to go in the event of an emergency.

When he met Lorelai's gaze he could see her face had become stoic, determined not to let her hormones take over at her mother's offer to take care of April. He gently nudged her foot under the table, then turned to Richard. "How's business been?" he asked.

Lorelai offered him a grateful smile at his attempts to make the conversation less emotional. She returned the foot nudge, then dove into her salad, careful to pick out every last piece of avocado.

XXXXX

"Lorelai, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

She looked up from her task of pulling a stack of blankets down from the closet shelf in April's room. "Juggling knives," she replied immediately.

"You can't be standing on that," Luke pointed to a stepstool. "Or lifting those."

"They're blankets, Luke, they weigh like two pounds," she said.

"Give them to me," he insisted, taking them out of her hands and then helping her down from the stool.

Annoyance flashed in her eyes as she pulled her arm out of his grip. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid," she snapped.

"I know that, but you've been getting dizzy," he reminded her. "If that happens when you're balancing like that, you'll fall."

"I know how to take care of myself," she said. "I've done this before."

Luke started to respond, but realized this was not a fight he wanted to have. He was starting to understand that some battles were worth fighting when Lorelai's hormones were taking control, and this wasn't one of them. "I'll make the bed," he offered.

"And I suppose I'll just lie in bed until the baby comes," Lorelai said. "You know, since women can't do anything but look pretty and give birth."

"Fine, make the bed yourself," he countered, dropping the blankets on the bed. "We have to leave for the airport in twenty minutes."

He turned and walked down the stairs, running a hand over his head as he stepped onto the front porch. He was trying to be patient with Lorelai, whose mood could change from elated to angry to aroused quicker than he'd ever thought possible, but he was struggling to keep up. What made her happy at one moment could make her furious the next, and he had no idea whether his actions would land him a teary thank you or an angry shout.

Their doctor had assured them that while most women didn't swing between moods so quickly, Lorelai was not alone in her pregnancy emotions and the speed at which they changed. Luke had a feeling that the quick pace at which Lorelai functioned in her every day life was now seeping into her hormonal brain, and she herself was struggling to keep up. She was probably more frustrated that he was; he couldn't imagine being completely sick one moment and then ready to share a shower the next.

Everything he'd heard and read so far told him that her emotions would become more stable when she entered her second trimester the following week, and he hoped that was the case. He knew she didn't like her unstable emotions either, and with all the other physical changes taking over her body, she was exhausted.

"I'm sorry."

Her uncharacteristically timid voice came from behind him, and Luke turned to see her standing framed in the front doorway, an expression of regret on her face. "Don't mention it," he said.

She shook her head as she stepped towards him. "You know that was hormonal, crazy Lorelai who snapped like that, right?" she asked. "Your normal wife is very grateful for you taking care of her."

He reached out and tugged her closer. "My wife isn't exactly _normal,"_ he teased gently, but instantly regretted it when he saw tears fill her eyes.

"Of course not, she's a crazy bitch who doesn't appreciate everything you do and hasn't given you sex in a week and a half," she muttered.

"I didn't say any of that," Luke frowned. "I don't expect anything."

"Because I'm fat and hideous?" Lorelai asked.

"No, because you're tired and not feeling up to it," Luke replied. "I've never pressured you, I'm not about to start now."

"I know," she sighed, looking up at the bright blue sky. "I'm sorry, I can't seem to get a grip on this."

Luke stepped towards her and traced a finger over her cheek. "Don't think I don't want you," he said softly. "Every second of every day…Lorelai, I don't think I've stopped thinking about you since the moment I met you."

Her lips turned up in a smile at his words. "Wow, you're turning into a romantic," she accused.

"Is it working?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she said, cupping his cheeks as she stood to kiss him. "And according to all the pregnancy rumors, my sex drive is about to spike, so hopefully these couple weeks will have been worth it."

"Already is," Luke said, reaching between them to trace her stomach. "Look what you're doing, Lorelai. I'll never be able to show you exactly how much it means."

She smiled and nodded. "Who would have thought getting me pregnant would have turned you into a sap?" she asked, reaching up to pinch his cheek. "My man is so romantic!"

Luke shoved her hand away and pointed to the door. "Get ready, we've got to go get April," he said.

She disappeared into the house and after a moment he followed her, grabbing a couple of water bottles from the fridge.

"Can you grab some lemon slices too?" Lorelai asked when she saw him about to close the door.

"You feeling sick again?" he asked as he grabbed the lemons.

"No, but I thought I'd be prepared," Lorelai shrugged. She took the slices and slipped them into a plastic bag. "Who knows what might set me off at the airport?"

"Good point," Luke said.

"Alright, we're good to go," Lorelai said. "This is so exciting, we're going to have a kid in the house again!"

Luke's face turned into a smile as they settled into the Jeep. "We're going to have to go car shopping soon," he pointed out. "The four of us can't fit into either car comfortably."

"I know," Lorelai sighed.

"A car seat isn't safe in here."

"I know."

"We can get another jeep," he offered.

"Luke, I know we need to do this," she said. "But can we talk about it later? Please?"

"Sure," he nodded. He focused on the road for a moment before he commented, "This is probably our last airport run for awhile."

Lorelai turned to look at him. "April's going back to New Mexico for Thanksgiving?" she asked.

A disappointed expression crossed Luke's face. "Yeah," he sighed.

"It's okay, we can do the pre-Thanksgiving thing," Lorelai said. "Or post-Thanksgiving thing. We'll celebrate with her."

He smiled softly. "Thanks."

"Planning around a celebration is what I do best," she confirmed. She smoothed a hand over her stomach and smiled down at it. "It's nice to never have to worry about that with this one."

Luke reached his right hand over to join hers. "Yeah, it is," he said. He rubbed his thumb over the tiny bump before he asked, "Have you felt her yet?"

"Nope, still too early," Lorelai sighed. She tilted her head to the side and asked, "You really think I wouldn't have told you if I had?"

He shrugged. "Like you said, you've done this before," he said.

"Doesn't make it less exciting," Lorelai said. "Plus, with Rory, I didn't have anyone to share it with. The first time I felt her move, I told my mom, who rolled her eyes and told me not to speak of such crude things."

Luke shook his head. "I hate thinking of you doing this alone," he murmured.

"I got through it," Lorelai shrugged.

Luke sighed as he pulled into a parking space at the parking garage. He turned the car off and looked at her softly. "So brave," he murmured.

"Alright, Mr. Romantic, save it for later," she requested. "We've got to go get our girl."

Luke smiled softly, ran his hand over her stomach one last time, then turned to get out of the car. He started for the flight status board and frowned when he saw Lorelai heading in the opposite direction. "Where are you going?" he asked.

She pointed towards the bathrooms. "Your kid thinks my bladder is a squeeze toy," she informed him.

With a roll of his eyes he waved her away and turned back to the board. Seeing that April's flight was marked as LANDED, he smiled widely. Stepping towards the security exit, he shoved his hands in his pockets and tried to fight his nerves.

It was strange, to feel nervous about seeing his own daughter. He hadn't disclosed his fears to anyone, even Lorelai. This moment marked the start of his role as a full time, live in father, and he was slightly apprehensive at the thought. When April had lived in Woodbridge she'd only spent an occasional night with him, most of her time spent with Anna who was fifteen minutes away. Then she'd gone to New Mexico, and although he'd relished the time she'd spent visiting, it was merely that; a visit. He'd been able to lighten his work schedule and spend time with April on the boat and at town events. Now they'd be creating a routine, with homework, social calendars, and open to close shifts to deal with, not to mention preparing the baby's room and making sure Lorelai was comfortable.

"You see a ghost?"

Luke turned to see that Lorelai had appeared at his side. "What?" he asked.

"You're white as a sheet," Lorelai observed, running a hand over his shoulder. "You feel okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Just a little nervous."

"About April?" Lorelai looked surprised. "As far as I recall, she doesn't bite."

He shrugged. "It's not that, it's being a father," he replied quietly, wondering why the hell he hadn't discussed this with her before.

Confusion and fear came across Lorelai's face and she took a step back. "Care to explain what that means?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest. "You're a pretty damn good father in my book."

"Yeah, when the girls pop in for a week or two," Luke replied. "This is different. This is… making sure homework gets done and coordinating swim practice schedules and making sure she goes to the doctor and…I don't even know what else."

"Okay, hold on," Lorelai frowned. "How long have you been feeling like this?"

Luke shrugged and averted his eyes. "Well, about the time I realized that it wasn't just April and Rory to worry about anymore," he admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

"You've got enough going on," he replied. "You're the one who's pregnant, you don't need to think about my stupid insecurities on top of everything else."

"They're not stupid," Lorelai countered. "And of course I'm going to worry. You're not doing this alone, Luke, I'm here with you. April's a good kid, she'll do extra homework without being prompted. She'll probably have her own schedule completely coordinated and just tell you when you need to take her somewhere."

Luke smiled slightly. "I guess so," he said.

"Don't ever doubt your ability to be a good father," Lorelai said. "Really, Luke, if I had any doubts at all, I wouldn't look like I swallowed a cantaloupe whole right now."

"How poetic," Luke sighed.

"It's a gift," Lorelai nodded. "I know my emotions are all over the place right now, but this is happening to you too. Having April come to live with us and getting ready for the baby is a lot. Please don't shut me out."

Old insecurities surfaced in her eyes and Luke reached for her hand. "I won't," he promised.

"You kind of already did."

He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I won't shut you out again," he amended.

"Thank you," she said, offering him a reassuring smile as she turned to the security checkpoint. "Want to take bets on how long it takes her to pull out measuring tape to see how fat I am?"

Luke laughed and shook his head. "She hasn't trusted my measuring skills," he said.

"Don't worry, I don't think she's trusted the doctor's reports either," Lorelai comforted.

"She's a little too interested in this pregnancy thing."

"They balance each other out," Lorelai said. "When I said something about fetal development the other day, Rory hung up on me."

He laughed and shook her head. "For two smart girls, they're pretty different," he observed.

"But equally amazing."

"That they are."

Lorelai pulled away from him and waved excitedly when she saw April walking towards them. "Hi, Lorelai!" she exclaimed, dropping her backpack on the ground. "Hi, Dad!"

"Hey, kid, how was your flight?" Luke asked, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"It was good," April nodded, hugging him back. After a moment she untangled herself from Luke and turned to Lorelai. "You get an inspection this time!"

Luke rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the smile that came across his lips as Lorelai stood straight and April looked at her abdomen closely. "Can I feel your stomach?" April asked curiously.

"Sure," Lorelai said. "Thanks for asking. You wouldn't believe how many people think it's socially acceptable to just walk up and touch me."

April touched Lorelai's stomach curiously. "Can you feel it?" she asked. "The baby?"

"Not yet," Lorelai replied. "It'll be a few weeks."

Reaching into her pocket, April pulled out a tape measure. "Can I measure your circumference?" she asked.

Lorelai made a face and Luke intervened. "Not here, kid," he requested gently.

"Yes, there can be lots of measuring tonight," Lorelai said. She giggled at her words, and Luke shot her a glare. She smirked back at him, and he could see the _dirty_ percolating in her head.

With a shake of his head, Luke picked up April's backpack and led them towards the baggage claim. "You hear anything from Chilton?" he asked.

"I have to go to orientation on Monday," April replied. "Classes start Wednesday."

"Do you have your schedule?" Lorelai asked. "Rory might be able to give you some tips if you have some of her old teachers."

"I get it Monday," April replied. "Can we go to Mom's storage unit tomorrow? I want to get some more of my books."

"Sure," Luke replied. "We stocked the fridge and put clean sheets on your bed, but I'm sure you'll enjoy having a couple days to settle in."

"You should do a practice run on the bus," Lorelai suggested. "Rory did that before she started to make sure she knew the exact amount of time to plan her bus books."

"Oh, good idea!" April said. "There's one of my bags, Dad."

Luke grunted as he pulled the overstuffed bag off the belt. "You're taking after your stepmother," he grumbled.

Lorelai turned to April. "If you're wondering how this kid got in here, it started with romantic comments like that," she stated.

"Lorelai!" he snapped, his face turning bright red.

"It's okay, Dad, I'm not a kid, I know all about the birds and the bees," April reported.

Luke turned back to the conveyor belt and dragged April's second bag off, muttering something about being "in over his head."

Lorelai smiled as she put her arm around April's shoulders. "We're going to have so much fun," she reported.

April smiled as she watched Luke storm ahead of them. "He is quite fun to embarrass," she confirmed.

"Girl after my own heart," Lorelai said, leading her stepdaughter out of the airport.

XXXXX

Luke glanced at April as she carefully measured coffee grounds into the coffee maker of the diner the following afternoon. "Good," he said. "Now, the secret is a sprinkle of nutmeg."

"Sprinkle?" April asked. "How is that quantifiable?"

He shrugged as he handed her a bottle of the spice. "It's not," he said.

"But if you're measuring a substance, you should have a way to objectively quantify it," April protested.

Luke shook his head and pressed the nutmeg into her hand. "Just a few shakes," he said.

"How many…right, okay, not a scientific experiment," April said, clearly struggling with Luke's suggestion.

As she shook the nutmeg over the coffee grounds, a familiar voice called, "I'll make sure it tastes okay."

Without turning around, Luke leaned down and said to his daughter, "When crazy women demand coffee, always refuse."

"I heard that, and know for a fact that you're contradicting yourself," Lorelai said from the counter. "Hey, how come she's allowed behind the counter and I'm not?"

Luke turned to look at his wife, placing a glass in front of her. "Because _she_ helps," he said.

"I help!" Lorelai exclaimed indignantly.

"How exactly is taking all of the pie home for yourself helping?" Luke demanded.

"It saves you from having to serve customers expired pie," Lorelai explained.

"It wasn't expired."

"Which we found out when I taste tested it."

Luke rolled his eyes as he filled her glass with milk. "Drink this."

Lorelai looked past him and called, "Help a stepmommy out here and spike this stuff with coffee."

"Sorry," April said. "Got very strict instructions otherwise."

"So much for solidarity," Lorelai muttered. "I miss Rory."

"Where is she right now?" April asked as Luke maneuvered around the counter to deliver a stack of plates.

"Ohio," Lorelai replied. "Have to make sure those Buckeyes swing left."

"I wish I could travel like that," April commented.

"You will," Lorelai said. "Rory didn't even leave the tri-state area until we went to Europe after she graduated. You've got time."

April nodded. "I know," she said.

"Hey, April, do you mind going to grab some more sugar packets from the storage room?" Luke appeared behind the counter.

"Sure," April nodded. She disappeared behind the counter, and Lorelai turned to Luke with a smile.

"No," he said firmly.

"Just a little bit of decaf?"

"No."

Lorelai offered him a sly smile and leaned forward, tugging her shirt down slightly. "Please, Luke?"

His eyes traveled to her chest, feeling his resolve start to weaken. "You're playing dirty."

Lorelai innocently reached her hand up to twirl with the end of her hair. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said before she casually flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Luke let out a frustrated sigh. "Half a cup of decaf, and you leave," he said gruffly.

"You're kicking me out?" Lorelai frowned. "Why?"

"Because you're doing the hair flip and sitting there all pregnant and sexy when my daughter is ten feet away," he said, his voice low.

Lorelai swallowed hard as she saw the desire in his eyes. The fact that he even made such a comment in the diner proved to her how clouded his thinking was at the moment. She took the accepted to go cup of coffee and stood with a dramatic sigh. "Come on, baby, Daddy can't control himself right now," she rubbed a hand over her stomach. Looking back up at Luke she promised, "We'll finish this tonight."

Luke's eyes traveled over her body, curves more pronounced now than ever, and swallowed hard. "Damn right we will," he confirmed. As Lorelai turned to walk towards the door she swayed her hips more than necessary and he stared up at the ceiling, trying to focus on anything other than how good she looked in her tight purple skirt.

"Order napkins, do produce inventory, replace oven vent, fill ketchup bottles…" Luke muttered his to do list under his breath as he tried to calm himself down. When that didn't work, he sighed and muttered, "She's going to be the death of me."

XXXXX

"I never thought I'd be back here," Lorelai commented as she pulled up to Chilton the following afternoon. She'd had to drop off a menu for her mother's DAR luncheon at the inn the following week, and had offered to take April shopping for her a new uniform while she was in the area. April had readily accepted, and Luke had been grateful to get out of any sort of decisions involving clothing.

April looked closely at the gray stone building. "I'm a little nervous," she admitted.

Lorelai remembered sitting with Rory in the car that first morning, feeling her daughter's nerves radiate from the passenger seat. She blinked, and then they were standing at the top of the ornate staircase, Rory still clad in her graduation attire. "That's okay," she said to April. "It will grow on you."

"It seems pretty big already."

"I mean you'll learn to love it," Lorelai said. "And today's not even a school day. We'll just go into the school store and get you some new plaid clothing. Sound good?"

"Yeah," April said.

They each climbed out of the car and Lorelai commented, "You know, you're lucky I'm dressed like a regular person. On your sister's first day, I didn't have any clean clothes and had to wear cowboy boots and a tie dye shirt."

April giggled. "I'm sure she was embarrassed," she said.

"That's what us parents do," Lorelai commented. "But that particular outfit was so bad even your dad pointed it out."

On their way to the school store, they passed a wall of pictures and April stopped. "Hey, it's Rory!" she exclaimed.

Surprised, Lorelai turned and noticed that the pictures highlighted Chilton's valedictorians from the past ten years. Proud tears filled her eyes as she saw her daughter beaming at her from the wall. _Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, Class of 2003._

"I didn't know she was valedictorian," April said hesitantly.

"Yup, she was the prettiest and the smartest that year," Lorelai confirmed.

"People are going to know she's my stepsister," April said quietly.

Lorelai smiled sympathetically. "That's a pretty good reputation to start with," she offered. "And pretty big shoes to fill."

"Yeah," April looked down at her feet.

"Sweetie, no one expects you to be Rory," Lorelai said softly. "You got into this school on your own merit. You got a scholarship. That's amazing, and I am so proud of you for that."

"What if I'm not valedictorian?" April asked.

Lorelai waved a hand in dismissal. "I'm sure your dad will cry more at your graduation than he did at Rory's," she said.

"He _cried?"_ April asked.

"And admitted it," Lorelai nodded. "Honey, your dad loves you. So do I. And we're so glad to have you here with us."

"Even with the baby coming?" April asked quietly.

"Especially with the baby coming," Lorelai promised. "Ever changed a diaper? Because you're about to be put to work full time."

April smiled softly. "Thanks, Lorelai."

"You're welcome," Lorelai said, reaching to smooth one of April's curls. "Now, let's go get your uniform."

"It's too bad Rory's didn't fit," April sighed.

"Don't knock new clothing," Lorelai shrugged. They stepped into the store and she looked at the few other people mingling. Fighting the urge to wince at the other mothers dressed in outfits she was pretty sure had been borrowed from her mother's closet, Lorelai turned to April. "Okay, I recommend two skirts and five shirts," she said. "The skirts you can wear more than once, but you should have a shirt for every day of the week. You know, to minimize my housekeeping duties like laundry while I'm growing your sibling."

April rolled her eyes, and Lorelai smiled at how much she resembled Luke with that gesture. "Because you do so much housekeeping when you're not pregnant," she teased.

"Okay, you're your father's daughter, I get it," Lorelai gently nudged her towards the clothing racks. "Let me know when you're ready to try something on. It's always good to go a little big, you might still be growing."

April nodded and disappeared into the clothing racks. Lorelai shook her head and turned to the more fun section of the store, filled with bumper stickers and coffee cups. As she perused the alumni section and selected a sweatshirt for Rory, she suddenly heard her name. She froze and closed her eyes, then muttered, "You have got to be kidding me."

"Lorelai?"

She turned and clutched the sweatshirt over her stomach as she came face to face with her former fiancé. "Max."

"I knew it was you!" Max said. "You look great."

"Uh, thanks," Lorelai said, gesturing to him. "So do you. Very, uh, academic."

"What are you doing here?" Max asked. "Is Rory here?"

"Oh," Lorelai started, but was interrupted when April appeared beside them.

"I found some skirts," she reported, holding them out to Lorelai. "Can you hold them while I go look at the science books?"

"April, you really have to get some shirts…"

"Please, Lorelai, they have the Smithsonian's new publication on the genetic study of remains found in Mayan villages," April pleaded. "Just five minutes, then I'll get the shirts, I promise."

Feeling Max study them curiously, Lorelai relented. "Sure, sweetie."

"Thanks!" April cried before she took off to the bookstore across the hall.

Max watched her run off before he turned to Lorelai. "You adopt a kid when Rory graduated?" he asked.

"Sort of," Lorelai said. "April's my stepdaughter."

"Stepdaughter," Max repeated. "You're married?"

"Right down to the white dress and diamond rings," Lorelai acknowledged.

He looked at her closely. "It's him, isn't it?" he asked. "The guy from the coffee place?"

Surprised, Lorelai nodded. "How could you possibly know that?" she asked.

Max shrugged. "He always understood you better than I ever did," he said. "It's not surprising."

Lorelai sighed. "I guess not," she said.

"So you're a Chilton mom again," Max said.

"Guess so," Lorelai shifted uncomfortably. She knew Luke would have to interact with Max eventually, and she'd have to figure out a way to tell him about this encounter gently.

"Lorelai!" April cried, running up to them again. "Look!"

Lorelai felt her heart melt as April held up a tiny blue t-shirt with the Chilton logo on it.

"We have to get it for the baby!" April said. "They have bibs and stuff too!"

Max's eyes widened and Lorelai again felt her stomach being scrutinized in the same way it had been as soon as anyone in town learned of her pregnancy. She nodded and offered April a small smile. "Sure, buy the section out," she said.

April bounded away again and Lorelai smiled fondly down at the Chilton t-shirt. She'd have to dress the baby in it whenever they came to one of April's school events.

"You're pregnant," Max stated.

Lorelai turned back to him with a smile. "Oh, is that what this is?" she asked, looking down at her still barely swollen stomach. "I thought it was the basketball I swallowed."

Max shook his head. "Wow."

"Seems to be the popular reaction," Lorelai sighed. "Look, Max, I owe you an apology."

"No you don't," Max said.

"I do," she insisted. "A long outdated one. I'm sorry. I never should have led you on the way I did. It was unfair of me."

He shook his head sadly. "We wouldn't have worked," he said. "As much as I wanted you, we couldn't have built a life together. I never even thought of kids."

"Me neither," Lorelai added. "Not until now, anyway."

"So…congratulations," Max said. "And I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah," Lorelai said. "I guess so."

He offered her a final smile before he disappeared out of the store. Lorelai looked up at the ceiling and muttered, "What I wouldn't give for a tequila shot right now."

XXXXX

"You feeling okay?" Luke asked her later that night.

Lorelai offered him a small smile as she glanced at him. "Yeah," she said.

"You've been quiet all night," Luke observed.

"Just thinking," Lorelai shrugged. She turned back to the TV and watched as Jay Leno appeared on screen.

"About what?" Luke persisted, scooting closer to her on the couch and brushing her hair to the side. His lips made contact with her neck as his hand gently caressed her thigh.

"Max."

Luke froze, then pulled back and Lorelai immediately realized how unexpected her reply must have seemed to him. She'd avoided mentioning her own surprise reunion during dinner for April's sake, but now that she'd gone to bed, Lorelai figured it was safe to bring it up.

"Any particular reason you're thinking about your fiancé while I'm kissing you?" Luke asked shortly.

"He's not my fiancé."

"He was."

"Observe the past tense, ladies and gentlemen."

Luke ran his hand over his hair. "Can we focus on something besides semantics here?" he asked.

Lorelai sighed. "I ran into him at Chilton," she said quietly.

"You _what?"_ Luke asked. "How come you didn't tell me?"

"I'm telling you now."

"Did he try anything?" Luke asked.

"No," Lorelai promised. "I told him about you and the baby. And April, obviously. He was nice."

Luke flopped onto the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling. "Can't wait to see that guy again," he muttered sarcastically.

"He's a teacher there, Luke. April might have him. We're going to see him."

"I know."

"I didn't say anything to April," Lorelai sighed. "She's nervous enough as it is."

"I know she is," Luke said. "Maybe Rory can talk to her. She was scared when she started too."

"I'll ask her to give April a pep talk," Lorelai said. "But Luke, are you okay? With seeing Max around?"

Luke shrugged. "I don't have much of a choice, do I?" he asked.

"I guess not, but I don't want you to feel like you have to mark your territory or anything," Lorelai said.

Luke smirked as he leaned closer to her. "I think I've already done that," he said, looking down at her stomach.

She giggled. "Yes, and very well, might I add," she agreed.

"We've let go of the past," Luke said. "Plus, I got the girl."

"Yes, you did," Lorelai nodded. She glanced at him carefully before she commented, "You know, before you kicked me out of the diner yesterday, you promised me that you'd show me some action. I didn't exactly follow through due to your child sucking the life out of me."

Luke's eyes darkened. "I did," he recalled.

"April's probably sound asleep by now," she continued. "What do you say, Butch, want to show me what you wanted to do to me in the diner yesterday?"

"You're really up for it?" Luke murmured.

She giggled. "I can tell you are," she stated.

"Lorelai," he pulled her gaze up to his. "Don't feel like you have to."

"I don't," Lorelai murmured. She leaned in to kiss him, then murmured, "I'm going to go upstairs and get myself nice and wet for you. Join me if you're interested."

Luke immediately jumped off the couch and followed her up the stairs. "Don't have to ask me twice," he stated.

An hour later, Lorelai pulled herself out of Luke's embrace and placed a series of kisses to his shoulder before she reached for his flannel. He watched her with heavy eyes and commented, "You know it's a shame to cover that body with flannel."

She looked at him over her shoulder. "I've been telling you that for years," she reminded him. She sat down beside him and traced a finger over his tattoo. "Would you ever get another one?"

"Probably not," Luke shrugged.

"Not even my name on your forehead?" Lorelai gasped.

"Definitely not."

"So much for 'I'll do anything for love'" Lorelai scoffed. "I'm going to write a letter to whoever wrote that song."

"Good luck," Luke told her. He watched as she ran her finger down his arm, then over his chest to his stomach. "Don't start something you can't finish."

She smiled but shook her head. "Don't worry, I'll be good," she promised. "I know it's already after your bedtime."

"Damn worth being tired tomorrow," he replied.

"Hear, hear," Lorelai agreed. She ran her fingers over the soft hair on his chest and leaned down to kiss him. "You don't think we woke April, did we?"

"I hope not," Luke grimaced. "But thanks for putting that fear in my head."

"Sorry," she said. "I think we were pretty quiet. At least for us."

"We'll have to get used to it," Luke sighed, his hand moving over the side of her stomach.

"We can always go back to your man cave if we have a desire to make each other scream," Lorelai confirmed. "It's going to change, Luke."

"What?"

"Everything," Lorelai shrugged. "I mean, even tonight. April went to bed three hours ago, and we just watched TV and had sex. When the baby comes, we'll be dealing with diapers and feedings. Or at least I will."

"Hey, I'm going to help," Luke assured her.

"With the diapers, yes," Lorelai nodded. "I'm kind of on my own with the food thing."

"I'll help with that too," Luke insisted.

Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "Really? You got some sort of plan to go against nature?" she asked.

"Well, no, but you can…you know…" Luke gestured to the general vicinity of her chest and she giggled.

"Pump?" she supplied. "You can say it, Luke, I have full confidence in that."

"Sorry," he murmured. "I'm trying not to be awkward about this stuff."

"It's okay," Lorelai nodded. "And maybe I will, I don't know, but I never did with Rory. It's kind of nice, having that connection to the baby. It's a good way to ease out of pregnancy."

"Ease out?" Luke asked.

Now it was Lorelai's turn to blush. "Yeah, well, when Rory was born, it was weird, not having her be part of me anymore," she said softly. "Maybe it was because my mom kept trying to take over, I don't know, but when I was pregnant, I had complete control of her. What I ate, she ate. I could feel every move she made, and we were so connected. I knew it was her and me against the world. And then she was born, and…I missed her being part of me. But by breastfeeding and knowing that she still depended on me for nourishment, I was able to keep that physical connection to her."

"I guess that makes sense," Luke murmured.

"Plus, it drove my mother nuts," Lorelai added. "Proper women don't breastfeed."

Luke winced. "I don't need to imagine that conversation," he said.

"I didn't need to _experience_ that conversation," Lorelai said.

"You're not on your own this time," Luke reminded her gently.

"I know, and I'm very grateful for that," Lorelai said. She was quiet before she asked, "Am I acting like I am?"

"No," Luke promised. "I know how independent you are, and I know that you'll do anything to protect your kids. But I also want you to know that you can let me in, you can let me help."

"Of course I will," Lorelai promised. "Just promise me you'll tell me if I'm taking charge."

He smirked and pulled her closer. "I like when you take charge," he reminded her.

She giggled and kissed him, but then pulled back. "I'm not sure I have enough energy to take charge right now," she said regretfully.

He sighed and nodded. "You took charge enough earlier," he confirmed.

Lorelai slid back to her side of the bed and watched as he began to pull his pajamas on. "You should consider sleeping shirtless," she suggested as he rooted through his dresser.

"Back at you."

She giggled and snuggled into the pillows. "I'll keep that in mind," she promised.

XXXXX

"Make sure you don't talk to strangers," Lorelai said to April three days later. "You know, unless it's a really cute boy."

"Lorelai," Luke warned from the other side of the truck.

"I'm almost done," she promised before she turned back to April, who was dressed in her Chilton uniform. "Now, if anyone asks you to join a group called the Puffs or ring any bells, make sure you run in the other direction. Again, unless it's a cute boy."

April giggled and nodded. "Got it," she said.

Lorelai handed April a package of colored pens. "To make note taking more fun," she said.

"Thanks, Lorelai."

Lorelai took a step back as April scrambled into the passenger side of Luke's truck. "Look both ways before you cross the street," she said.

Luke put the car into drive. "I'll be back later," he promised.

"Okay, just one more thing," Lorelai promised, leaning putting her hand on the passenger door. "Call me if you need anything."

April flashed Lorelai a nervous smile. "I will," she said. "See you tonight."

"Bye!" Lorelai slammed the door closed and offered them a small wave as Luke pulled the truck away from the curb by the diner.

April quietly stared out the window as he drove, and once he was on the highway Luke asked, "You doing okay?"

"Yeah," she said. "Just a little nervous."

"That's natural," Luke said. He tapped his finger against the steering wheel before he said, "You're going to do great."

"Thanks, Dad," April murmured.

They remained silent as he drove, and when he parked, he turned to look at her. She was staring at the other students moving through the courtyard in a sea of blue and gray plaid, and he cleared his throat. "You ready?" he asked.

"I guess," she shrugged, reaching for the car door.

Luke wearily reached for his own car door. He'd spent time around Hartford society for Lorelai's sake, but she'd always been by his side to lead the small talk or help him through a conversation. He was at a complete loss now, and he knew he stuck out like a sore thumb. His green truck looked out of place in a parking lot that could easily have been a Lexus dealership.

Swallowing his pride for his daughter's sake, Luke turned to look at her and plastered the most confident look he could on his face. "Let's do it," he said to her.

Together, they walked into the imposing building and April easily navigated her way through the orientation process. Luke tried to main inconspicuous as he glanced around the crowds, but he couldn't help but wonder if any of the other parents were putting on a show like he was.

After he'd signed the required papers and April had received her schedule and locker assignment, he turned to her and let out a deep breath. "Well, you're officially a high schooler," he told her.

"Yeah," she admitted. She glanced around briefly before she offered him a quick hug. "Thanks for being here, Dad."

He hugged her back tightly. "I'll pick you up this afternoon," he promised. "And if you need anything…"

"I know," April said. "I'm fine, Dad. I like school."

"I know," he shook his head. "Don't know where you got that, but I'm glad it's true."

A bell sounded and April smiled up at him. "See you this afternoon," she said before she disappeared into the mass of students heading for class.

Luke took off quickly for the parking lot, already pulling at the collar of his dress shirt. When he reached his truck, he was surprised to see Lorelai leaning against the hood, a small smile playing across her features. "Hey, handsome," she called. "It'll cost you a pie for a kiss and a cup of coffee for the dirty stuff."

"Hey," he said, stopping in front of her. "What are you doing here?"

"I know how nervous you get around places like this," Lorelai said, gesturing to the school behind him. "But I also know how important it was that you and April started this together, just the two of you. So I figured I'd make myself available afterwards, in case you needed some moral support."

He sighed gratefully. "You're perfect," he told her, pulling her close.

She smiled up at him. "I even brought you a change of clothes," she said.

"Thank god, this shirt is strangling me," Luke muttered.

"Well, you're really going to hate the tuxedo I brought then," Lorelai said regretfully.

He rolled his eyes and pulled back from her. She held up his blue hat, then slid it backwards onto her own head. "How do I look?" she asked. "Ready to make coffee and flip burgers?"

He shook his head. "Adorable," he countered.

"I'll take it," she said. "So since you're obsessed with this whole 'buying a new car to keep our kid safe' thing, I figured we could look for one today before you have to pick April up."

Luke nodded. "Sure, sounds good," he replied.

"But I'm buying you breakfast first."

"I already ate breakfast."

"Well, Luke, if our past car shopping experience taught me anything, it's that I need to make sure you have a full stomach," Lorelai replied. She glanced at his truck and said, "Unless, of course, you're hungry for something else."

"Not here," he said.

"Okay," Lorelai agreed. "But just so you know, I think it's here."

"What's here?"

She offered him a smoldering smile. "That stage of my pregnancy when I all I want is for you to rip off my clothing and do dirty, dirty things to me," she said in a sweet voice.

He glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then looked at her with a tense expression on her face. "You chose _now_ to tell me this?" he asked.

"Sorry," she said. "So we're clear, though, right now I'm not wearing any underwear."

Luke shook his head and grabbed her hand, shoving her into his truck. "Forget car shopping, we're going home," he told her.

"You're not going to hear me complain," she said as she buckled herself in.

He gave her a side glance as he pulled the truck onto the road. "Are you really not wearing any underwear?" he asked.

She reached for her hand and placed it on her thigh. "Find out for yourself," she suggested.

His eyes widened and he pressed onto the gas pedal as he inched his hand up to find proof that she wasn't lying.

Luke was so focused on driving that he missed Lorelai's satisfied smile. She'd known how uncomfortable he felt around places like Chilton, and she was glad that she could be a distraction for him. It wasn't the first time she'd had to do so, and she knew it wouldn't be the last.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all for the great reviews! I hope you're enjoying the story, and please keep reviewing!**

* * *

Lorelai smiled softly as she ran her hands over Cletus's soft mane, securing the bridle before she turned to her stepdaughter. "Alright, Annie Oakley, your chariot awaits," she said.

April grinned as she secured her helmet on her head. "You're sure you can't come with me?" she asked.

"Sorry, kid, us pregnant girls are going to stick together," Lorelai said, taking Desdamona's reins.

"There's no evidence that says riding while pregnant is dangerous to the baby," April pressed.

"You're right, but I don't think it would be a particularly comfortable experience," Lorelai said. "You'll be okay, just stay in the field. Desdamona and I will take a walk and discuss war stories."

"Okay," April sighed. She'd spent many weekends over the past month at the inn caring for the horses, much to Lorelai's delight. Although she wasn't in any shape to ride as she approached the halfway point in her pregnancy, she had to admit that she looked forward to having a riding partner after she'd given birth.

April expertly swung her leg over Cletus's back and led the horse down the trail, and Lorelai turned to Desdamona. "Just us mamas now," she said softly.

"Want company?"

Lorelai smiled as she saw Sookie appear behind her. "Hey, you, it's your day off," she said.

"I know, but I had to come in and make sure Mario wasn't overstraining the duck sauce," Sookie replied. "I saw you guys out here and figured I'd say hi."

"I'd love the company," Lorelai confirmed. She gestured to the field. "I'm on foot today, husband's orders."

Sookie fell into step beside Lorelai. "Luke doesn't want you riding?" she asked.

"He didn't say as much, but was obviously concerned about it," Lorelai said. "It's not a huge deal to me, so I figured I'd save him some worry."

"April looks good out there," Sookie observed.

Lorelai smiled as she watched the teenager ride gracefully through the meadow behind the inn. "Yeah, she's growing up pretty fast," she said.

"How's Chilton going for her?"

"Okay," Lorelai said. "She likes the classes and her teachers, but she's struggling a bit socially."

"I can't imagine anyone being mean to her," Sookie commented.

"I don't know that anyone's being mean, so much as…not acknowledging her at all," Lorelai said. She took a few steps before she observed, "I would have been one of those girls, taking charge and not welcoming the new girl into my world. Those people aren't like us."

Sookie frowned. "You wouldn't have been that girl," she said.

"Yeah, I would have been," Lorelai sighed. She rubbed a hand over her stomach and said, "I was a rich kid, Sookie. I never wanted that life, but before Rory I never wanted for anything material. It makes me sad now, watching those kinds of girls. I know how empty their lives really are, how much they'd benefit from having a friend like April."

"Rory did okay," Sookie commented.

"Yeah, but she's different," Lorelai said. "April's used to having the swim team and science club. It's been a little strange for her to try to prove herself among the McSnooty families of Hartford."

"Poor girl," Sookie sighed sympathetically. "How's Luke taking it?"

Lorelai shrugged. "You know Luke, he's worried, but doesn't really get it," she said. "April hasn't even said anything, I've just been drawing upon my mommy senses."

"Which are growing by the second," Sookie said, nodding towards Lorelai's stomach.

"Ugh, if one more person comes up to me and touches my stomach without permission, I'm going to go all hormonal bitch on them," Lorelai said. "This morning, Taylor gave the baby a lecture on importance of town loyalty. I kept trying to move away until he had me cornered by the magazines."

Sookie giggled. "Please make sure I'm around when you tell Luke that happened," she said. "Knowing Taylor touched your stomach may actually send him into a blind rage."

"Hence the not telling him," Lorelai confirmed. "I'd like him to be with me when I pop this kid out, not in a jail cell for murdering Taylor."

"Fair point," Sookie said. "Any movement in there yet?"

Lorelai shook her head disappointedly. "Plenty of movement, just not enough for me to feel yet," she said.

"Any day now," Sookie nudged her with an excited smile.

"I know, I can't wait," Lorelai said, a smile stretching across her lips. "It makes it more real, you know?"

"Oh, I remember," Sookie nodded. "The first time I felt Davey move, Jackson made me sit still for an hour and a half while I moved his hand to wherever I felt movement."

Lorelai shook her head. "Luke keeps asking if I've felt her," she said. "It's still going to be weeks before he'll be able to feel her."

"It's cute how excited he is," Sookie said. "We all know Luke's a big softie, but he's been even calmer than usual lately."

"You weren't on the wrong end of his dentist rant," Lorelai rolled his eyes.

"Dentist?" Sookie frowned.

"Well, that stupid expectant fathers' book has totally come back to bite me in the ass," Lorelai said. "He read something about gum disease and blew a fuse when he found out I haven't been to the dentist since I found out I'm pregnant. I very calmly pointed out that I'm not due for a check up for another two months, and now he's making me floss three times a day."

Sookie shook her head. "He's trying to take care of you," she said.

"I know, and most of the time it's sweet," Lorelai nodded. "But when he shoves apples down my throat for extra nutrients, hormonal Lorelai takes over."

"Not into apples this time, are you?" Sookie asked.

"Nope, this time it's all about salad of all this," Lorelai rolled her eyes. "And by salad, I mean bowls of lettuce and blue cheese dressing. I think Luke's hypnotizing the baby when I sleep."

"If he were doing that, I think you'd be eating more fruit and less pancakes," Sookie commented.

"True," Lorelai nodded.

"Lorelai!" April rode up to them with a beam stretched across her face. "How much longer do we have out here?"

Lorelai checked her watch. "Only a few more minutes, sweetie, you've got your Sunday night phone date with your mom, remember?"

"Okay," April said. "One more lap?"

Lorelai winked. "Make it a slow one," she said.

April and Cletus trotted off and Sookie shook her head slightly. "It's amazing," she said.

"What is?" Lorelai asked.

"She's been here a month, and you've got her riding a horse," Sookie commented. "You could never even get Rory to do that."

"April's ridden before," Lorelai replied.

"I'm glad it's working out," Sookie said. "It must have been an adjustment, having her here."

"You know, it really hasn't been," Lorelai observed. "Luke and I were both a little nervous about it, but other than coordinating one more schedule and changing our sex life a bit, nothing's really changed."

"Trouble in paradise?" Sookie asked, eyebrows raised.

"No," Lorelai said, shaking her head. "We're just more careful about things. You know, like closing the bedroom door and not spontaneously ripping each other's clothes off."

Sookie eyed her knowingly. "Second trimester, hmmm?" she asked.

"Best of the three," Loreali giggled.

"Come on, give me some details!" Sookie begged.

Lorelai shook her head slightly but stopped in her tracks, raising her eyebrows knowingly. "Let's just say that Luke is very good at fulfilling each and every one of my cravings," she said. "Sometimes two or three times."

Sookie gasped. "Three times, I'm jealous!" she cried.

"I'm a lucky girl," Lorelai acknowledged. April began to approach them and Lorelai called out, "How's he doing?"

"He's good," April slowed Cletus to walk beside Sookie and Lorelai as they made their way back up the path.

"Good," Lorelai said. "You know, if this science thing doesn't work out, you've got a job here as horse whisperer."

"I'll keep that in mind," April confirmed.

"Alright, I'm going to head home to my guys and my girl," Sookie sighed, gesturing to her car. "Let me know if there's any movement!"

Lorelai smiled and draped a hand over her stomach. "You got it," she confirmed.

"He's still not moving?" April asked.

"She," Lorelai frowned.

"I know, you and Dad are convinced it's a girl, but the way I see it, my brother will like me best because I didn't call him a girl when he was an embryo," April informed her as she dismounted.

Lorelai frowned. "We could totally make a bet on this," she said.

April poked her head out of the horse's stall. "You're not allowed to join the pool, Taylor determined it's not fair," she said.

Lorelai cringed. "Your dad still doesn't know, does he?" she asked.

"No, and I still think he's going to find out eventually," April said.

"Yes, but hopefully he won't find out until _after_ the kid is born, and which point all I'll have to do is make you hold her and he'll forget the emotion anger," Lorelai tapped the side of her head. "I've got a plan."

"Sounds foolproof," April said sarcastically.

"You're sounding more and more like your dad every day," Lorelai commented. She slid into the Jeep and sighed. "Good thing I'm tall, otherwise I might not reach the pedals much longer."

"I read that you shouldn't drive after your third trimester," April said.

Lorelai glared at her. "I've read about teenagers who put ridiculous ideas in their father's heads and end up on the street," she replied.

"I'm just saying, if you go into preterm labor…"

"I won't," Lorelai promised. She pulled the car onto the road and then said, "We're good, April. The baby and I are healthy, there aren't any problems."

"But you could…"

"A lot _could_ happen, sweetie," Lorelai said gently. "We're focusing on the should."

"Statistically speaking…"

"Statistically speaking," Lorelai echoed as she pulled into the driveway. "I've had one very successful pregnancy, and plan for this one to be just as productive."

April glanced down at Lorelai's stomach. "Okay," she said hesitantly. She reached her hand out curiously, then snapped it back.

"It's okay, you can touch it," Lorelai permitted.

"I heard you tell Kirk you were going to put his hand through a meat grinder."

"Yeah, well that was _Kirk,"_ Lorelai replied. "He was trying to make a prediction for his blog. You, your dad and Rory have a free pass."

April reached out to curiously rub the swell of Lorelai's stomach. "Does it feel weird?" she asked.

"Kind of," Lorelai replied. "Knowing there's another person in there, with tiny organs and fingernails and toes is a little strange. But it gets real when the kid starts moving."

"What's that feel like?" April genuinely wanted to know about the natural process.

"Well, it's been a couple decades, but I remember it felt like there were tiny butterflies in my stomach," Lorelai replied. "Until Rory got bigger, then I was convinced that she was trying to kick her way into my stomach."

April giggled. "It's like the ultimate science experiment," she observed.

Lorelai offered her a soft smile. "You'll experience it one day," she said. "You know, twenty years from now, when you're established in your career and your dad finally lets you go on your first date."

"Ugh, he's so annoying," April said as she slid out of the car.

"He's worried," Lorelai countered, closing the car door behind her.

"Maybe I can slip a date in while you're giving birth," April commented. "He'll be super distracted then."

Lorelai laughed as she opened the front door. "You are so my stepdaughter," she confirmed. "We're back!"

"Kitchen!" Luke's voice called. "How was the ride?"

"Good," April replied as she leaned over the stove. "What's that?"

"Chicken soup," Luke replied. "Yes, there are carrots, and yes, you're going to eat them," he said, glaring at Lorelai.

"What's in it for me?" she asked.

"A kid who can see."

She sighed dramatically. "Fine, but only because I want her to see how handsome her daddy is."

Luke turned to April. "Go call your mom, this will be awhile," he suggested.

"Okay," April said, reaching for the phone and disappearing from the kitchen.

Luke turned the burner down and turned to look at Lorelai. "She say anything?" he asked.

Lorelai offered him a sympathetic smile. "Nothing besides a lot of curious questions about pregnancy," she said.

"I hate this," Luke sighed. "Rory didn't have this much trouble fitting in, did she?"

"No, but Rory's…Rory," Lorelai said. "She was okay being by herself. She had a life here, in Stars Hollow, and was okay with separating her Chilton life from her life here."

"What do we do?" Luke asked. "I don't want her to be friendless for four years."

Lorelai reached out to rub his arm. "Me neither," she said. "But she doesn't seem unhappy. She's your kid, after all, maybe she just needs a little more time to socialize."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Luke sighed. He crossed his arms over his chest and said, "I didn't want her to get my…social whatever."

"Your social _whatever_ is not genetic," Lorelai said. "You were the big man on campus in high school. I've heard stories. April will get there."

Luke nodded, then shifted his gaze back to her. "Did you ride?" he asked.

"Nope, I figured if I can put those skills to use elsewhere," Lorelai said suggestively.

"Wait until tonight," Luke commanded.

"Yes, sir," Lorelai saluted. "How was the diner?"

"Boring," Luke replied. "I can't believe I used to spend open to close shifts there."

"Me neither," Lorelai said. "I'm glad I could draw you out into the real world."

"Me too," Luke said. "Unfortunately, I've got to revisit the old days tomorrow."

"Why, what's going on?" Lorelai asked, pulling a loaf of French bread out of the cupboard.

Luke watched as she pulled out a cutting board and began slicing. "Wow, you're in housewife mode," he observed with an impressed smirk.

She pointed her breadknife at him from across the island. "Don't mock or I _will_ go horseback riding."

"Sorry," he held his hands up in surrender.

Lorelai smiled as she began slicing the bread. "So what's the deal at the diner tomorrow?" she asked. "Backwards baseball cap convention? Flannel wearing diner owners unite? Burger flipping competition? Silver ware rolling…"

"Cesar's got jury duty," Luke interrupted what he was sure could be a very long list.

"That was my next guess."

"Sure." He watched as she continued to slice the bread, then glanced to the door. After a moment he slipped behind her and murmured into her ear, "Let me show you the proper way to slice bread."

Lorelai giggled as she allowed him to place his hands on top of hers. "I'm pretty sure there's a dirty in there," she stated.

Luke ignored her, gently moving the knife with her. "You always said this was the best way to cook," he breathed, his voice low.

The feeling of his body pressed against hers, combined with her pregnancy hormones and his hot breath in her ear had Lorelai throbbing with arousal in seconds. "Luke," she sighed.

"I love watching you be domestic," he murmured, nudging her hair aside with his nose and pressing a soft kiss to her neck.

"Oh my god," Lorelai leaned back into him, squeezing her eyes closed. She tried to control herself, but when she felt Luke's hand leave hers to brush against her stomach, she set the knife down and turned in his arms. She tried to press herself close to him, but frowned when she couldn't get as close as she wanted to. "She's getting in the way."

Luke brought his hands to rest on her hips, his thumbs gently moving over the sides of her stomach. "Worth it," he breathed.

"Yeah," Lorelai said. "God, Luke, you can't do this to me."

"What?" he asked.

"Get me all hot and bothered in broad daylight with a teenager about to walk into the room," Lorelai sighed.

He shrugged, then smirked. "Consider it payback for all the low cut shirts you've been parading around in."

"They're the same shirts I always wear!"

"Yeah, but _these,"_ Luke brushed a finger over her cleavage. "Are not the same."

She shoved his hand away, fighting the arousal in her body. "You're evil," she stated. "And they're not for you anymore."

"Trust me, I'm aware," Luke sighed, stepping back. "It's not fair."

"Well, if you prefer, you can explain to our daughter that she wasn't breastfed so I could cater to your desires," Lorelai said pointedly.

"She comes first, I get it," he said, not so subtly staring at her chest. "Doesn't mean I can't be a little frustrated."

"Hey, Cool Hand, my face is up here," Lorelai snapped his fingers. "And it's rude to stare at a lady's chest when she's about to kiss you."

He smiled as she leaned up to kiss him. "We can't do anything here," he sighed regretfully.

"I know," she said, kissing him one last time before she traced a finger over his cheek and pulled back. "Tonight."

"It's a date," he confirmed.

Lorelai smiled and turned back to the abandoned bread knife, slicing the last of the bread before she started placing the slices into a bowl. "You know, pretty soon we'll know if we're right," she commented.

"Think the doctors were wrong and there's no baby in there?" Luke asked.

"No," she rolled her eyes dramatically. "If said baby is really a girl."

"I can't wait," he said.

"Then we can decide on a name."

"We already know her name."

" _Her_ name," Lorelai confirmed. "But if we're wrong, we are not naming our son Victor."

Luke winced. "Definitely not," he said.

She looked at him carefully for a moment. "Are you sure you don't want to consider…"

"No."

"Luke!"

"I don't want him named after me."

"Why not?" Lorelai asked. "I did it."

"Yeah, that's why it would be weird," Luke said, turning to look at her. He gestured between the two of them. "We're Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes, married couple. How weird would it be to have Rory and our son be Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes, brother and sister?"

"Okay, point taken, we have to be more creative," Lorelai said. She paused and asked, "Could we use it as a middle name?"

"It's probably a moot point, we've wanted her to be a girl since before she was conceived."

"Yeah, and I've wanted to headline with Blondie since I was twelve," Lorelai replied. "If you're so convinced it's a girl, just agree to let our son's middle name be Lucas."

"Can't we discuss this once we know for sure?" he asked.

"Fine," she said. "But don't think I'll forget."

"Trust me, I know you won't."

"I think I'll bring it up during a town meeting," Lorelai mused, tapping her finger against her chin. "I'm sure everyone would have some insight on the topic."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't you dare," he said.

"I don't know, Luke, they had some great ideas about our wedding," Lorelai said. "We could make it like that bracket thing you do."

"Bracket thing?" he asked.

"Yeah, remember, back in March, when we ranked all those basketball teams on how good they looked in their uniforms?" Lorelai asked.

"You mean the sweet sixteen, when _I_ made predictions based on game statistics and player performance?" Luke corrected.

"Tomato, to-mah-to," Lorelai shrugged. "We could have one for our baby's name! Oh, the possibilities, this is going to be so…"

Her voice became muffled as Luke shoved a piece of French bread into her mouth. She frowned and started to complain around the mouthful, but her eyes lit up when she began to chew. "Mmm, garlic!"

He rolled his eyes. "Make sure you brush your teeth before you get into bed," he requested.

She tore the bread out of her mouth and frowned at him. "You better be nice or I'll eat the whole damn loaf and make you kiss me."

XXXXX

"Well, if it isn't the prodigal daughter, live and over the phone lines!" Lorelai exclaimed the following morning as she leaned against the desk in the Dragonfly's lobby.

"Well, if it isn't the mother, actually answering her phone!" Rory replied.

Lorelai cringed. "I know, I've been a bad mommy," she said. "How's life on the road? Pulled any good bank jobs?"

"Not since yesterday."

"Well, get on it, would you, I've got another mouth to feed."

"Like I'd give you my loot."

"Not _me,_ your sibling," Lorelai replied. "Who at the moment is the size of a fist. Although you'd think she's much bigger at the size of my stomach."

"Exactly how fat are you?" Rory asked.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "According to April, in the thirty fifth percentile for a woman my height at this stage of pregnancy," she said.

"It's probably good we don't know where she gets this information, right?"

"You should have seen the expression on Luke's face when she started spouting off her research on the pros and cons of different childbirth options," Lorelai commented.

"I'm getting dangerously close to hanging up."

"Okay, talk about me over," Lorelai confirmed. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Rory replied. "We're going to be on the west coast the whole week."

"Got to convince those hippies to vote blue?" Lorelai asked.

"Something like that," Rory replied. "I'm going to try to get to the walk of fame when we're in Hollywood."

"If you get me a picture of Lucille Ball's star I'll be your mother forever!"

"I'll move her up to the top ten," Rory promised. "I can't talk long, Mom, I just wanted to say hi. And I miss you."

"I miss you too," Lorelai sighed. "It's weird, not having you here for this."

"I wish I was there too," Rory said quietly. "I, um, wanted to as if it's still okay for me to come home for my birthday. Senator Obama will be in Springfield that weekend."

"Of course it's okay, Rory, you don't have to ask," Lorelai replied.

"Well, I just wanted to ask," Rory sighed. "Because…I was kind of hoping that Ethan could come with me."

"Uh, yes!" Lorelai replied. "I want to meet the man who's swept you off your feet."

Rory let out a sigh of relief. "But, Luke…"

"Luke will be a perfect gentleman," Lorelai confirmed. "I'll have him dressed in tails and reciting poetry."

"Mom."

Lorelai grew serious. "He'll behave," she promised. "He knows this is coming. Plus, I can fly into a hormonal rage at any second, and I'm willing to pretend to do that for your sake."

Rory giggled. "I knew there was a reason you're my favorite mother," she said.

"Ethan's aware of our unique little family?" Lorelai asked. "Specifically April?"

"Yeah, he's got all the details," Rory said. She paused, then said apologetically, "I've got to go, Mom, I'm sorry."

"That's okay," Lorelai sighed. "Give me a call tomorrow?"

"As soon as my plane lands in the great state of California," Rory confirmed. "Love you."

"I love you too, Rory," Lorelai smiled. "Bye."

"Bye!"

Lorelai sighed as she hung up the phone. She tapped her finger against the desk for a moment before she turned to Michel. "Michel, did you sort all the check ins for the week?" she asked.

"Yes," he pointed to a file box by the window.

"Okay," Lorelai said. She was quiet for a moment before she asked, "Are the maids all aware of the proper turn down service for fall?"

"Yes."

"Did you put the brochures for apple picking in all the rooms?"

"Yes."

"Good!" Lorelai said. "It sounds like you're all caught up."

"Yes, I actually do my job instead of sitting in the kitchen talking all day," Michel observed.

"And since you're all caught up, you can go get me a milkshake," Lorelai stated confidently.

"I did not say that!"

Lorelai tilted her head to the side and ran her hands over her stomach. "Michel, the baby wants a milkshake!" she asserted.

"Then go get it yourself," he insisted.

"I would, but I've already been to the ice cream shop five times this week, and if Luke sees me there he'll take away my peanut butter cup pancakes," Lorelai explained.

"That is not my problem."

"Michel!" she whined. "Please, I'll give you an extra day off next week!"

He contemplated for a moment before he nodded. "Fine," he relented. "But I will be calling in sick the next time your mother has one of her rich lady parties."

"You and me both," Lorelai said. "Chocolate chip, please."

"Fine."

"No, wait!" she grabbed his arm. "Mint swirl. No, chocolate chip. Chocolate chip."

Michel rolled his eyes and started for the door.

"I meant peanut butter cup!" Lorelai called after him. She giggled when she heard him mutter under his breath, loving the opportunity to mess with him.

"Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai speaking," she answered automatically when the phone rang a few minutes later.

"Hey, it's me," Luke's voice came.

"Me, me, me…" Lorelai tapped her foot against the floor. "Hmm, not ringing a bell."

"Lorelai."

"Sorry," she said. "How's the full day shift going?"

He sighed. "Not great," he said. "Joe called out too, and the school just called. April's sick."

"What?" Lorelai asked. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, but apparently she's got a fever," Luke said, his tone frustrated. "She threw up in the nurse's office."

"I'm on my way," Lorelai replied.

"Are you sure?" he asked, relief in his voice. "I mean, I know I should be the one to go, but…"

"You've got your hands full," Lorelai said. "I either go get April or take charge of the diner. Which do you trust me with more?"

"Definitely my kid," Luke replied. "Thanks."

"Gives me an excuse to go home," Lorelai replied.

"I'll make it up to you," Luke promised. "And Lorelai?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't think you're fooling anyone by sending Michel on milkshake runs."

She gasped as she heard the phone click off. "He's too smart for his own good," she muttered as she reached for her purse.

After she'd informed Sookie what was going on and placed a hostess behind the desk until Michel got back, Lorelai made her way to Chilton to rescue her stepdaughter.

She'd never even been to the nurse's office when Rory had attended, and when she finally found it, she smiled politely at the nurse. "Hi, I'm looking for my stepdaughter," she said. "April?"

"Lorelai!"

She turned to see a pale April sitting up from a cot, and immediately walked over to her. "Hey, sweetie, feeling a little under the weather?" she asked.

April nodded, and Lorelai smoothed a curl back from her forehead. Feeling the dampness of her skin, she leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss, feeling for a temperature. "Yeah, definitely a heat wave," she confirmed. "Let's get you home."

"I have to get my books," April whispered, leaning into Lorelai's shoulder.

"How about you wait here and I'll get them?" Lorelai asked. "Where are they?"

"Room 137," April replied, crashing back onto the pillow. "Thanks."

Lorelai frowned in concern before she turned back to the nurse. "Has she gotten sick again?" she asked.

"No, but her fever's been steady since she got here. It hasn't spiked, but it's not going down either."

"Thanks," Lorelai said. "I'm just going to make a textbook run, then I'll get her off our hands."

"No problem."

Lorelai stepped cautiously into the hallway and made her way through the abandoned halls. Pregnant in the halls of a high school, she couldn't help but feel like she was sixteen again, and suddenly couldn't wait to get out of there.

"Lorelai Gilmore?"

She frowned as she turned to see a woman around her own age, looking at her with wide eyes. "I knew it was you!" the woman exclaimed. "It's me, Missy Tompkins."

Lorelai was sure she was having a nightmare now. Missy Tompkins had made her life a living hell after finding out that Lorelai was pregnant. Spraying high potency cleaning solution over her locker and stuffing condoms into its vents had been the tamer of her jokes.

"Oh my god, look at you, still pregnant in high school!" Missy was saying. "Some things never change right?"

Lorelai opened her mouth to offer the comment she'd wanted to say to Missy Tompkins for over twenty years, but quickly remembered April lying in the nurse's office. "I have to go," she said.

Missy's heels clicked behind her. "Lorelai, we were friends!" she reminded her.

"No, we weren't," Lorelai replied. "As I recall, the second you heard that Rory was born, you made a play at Christopher."

"How'd you know that?" Missy asked.

Lorelai stopped outside April's biology classroom. "I had a baby, I didn't fall off the edge of the planet," she stated. She disappeared into the classroom and tried to be as unobtrusive as possible as she scooped April's backpack off the floor. When she saw Missy still standing outside the classroom, she blew out a frustrated breath and pushed past her.

"Why does that matter?" Missy picked up right where they'd left off. "You turned down his proposal."

"I was sixteen, and you hit on my boyfriend," Lorelai said. "It mattered."

"That was over twenty years ago, what do you care now?" Missy asked. She stopped and looked at Lorelai closely.

"I have to go," Lorelai replied.

"Wait, April's your daughter?" Missy asked, seeing the name on the notebook Lorelai was carrying.

Lorelai sighed, looking at the ceiling. "Stepdaughter," she replied. "Why?"

"Wow, my daughter talks about her all the time," Missy stated. "They're such good friends."

"What?" Lorelai asked suspiciously. "Who's your daughter?"

"Emma," Missy replied. "Hasn't April mentioned her?"

"She's sick," Lorelai said. "I have to go."

She ignored Missy's pleas for her to come back and made it back to the nurse's office twice as quickly as he it normally would have. She pasted a smile on her face and walked back into the room, offering April a smile. "Ready to go home and watch trashy daytime TV?" she asked.

April only groaned as she sat up. "I don't feel well," she whined.

Lorelai smiled sympathetically. "I know, hon," she said, wrapping an arm around her. "Come on, you can sleep the whole way home."

Still half asleep, April leaned heavily on Lorelai as they walked out to the parking lot. Lorelai quickly settled her into the passenger seat and stowed her backpack in the trunk before she positioned herself behind the wheel. She glanced at April as she turned the car on, frowning when she realized April was sound asleep with her head resting against the window. Her concern quickly overtook her curiosity about Missy's daughter, and she knew she had to get April home quickly.

An hour later, April was settled on the couch with flu medicine coursing through her system and a blanket covering her. Lorelai turned on a talk show but muted it when April slipped back into unconsciousness before the commercial break was over.

Slipping into the kitchen, Lorelai picked up the phone and dialed the diner.

"Luke's." Her husband sounded stressed and worried.

"I hope you're ready to take care of two cranky girls tonight," Lorelai replied, peering into the freezer.

"Is she okay?"

"I think so," Lorelai said, pulling a tub of cookie dough ice cream off the shelf. "Her fever's not getting worse, and I just pumped her full of flu medicine. She's sleeping it off on the couch."

"Do you need me to come home?" Luke asked. "I can close the diner."

"That's sweet," Lorelai said. "But I can handle a sleeping teenager."

"Are you sure?" Luke asked.

"I think I'll manage," Lorelai replied around a scoopful of ice cream.

"Okay," Luke sighed. "So why are you cranky?"

Lorelai stabbed at the ice cream with her spoon. "Lorelai Gilmore, wandering the hallowed halls of high school, pregnant and targeted," she sighed. "I'm fine."

"Targeted?" Luke asked.

"Just ran into the queen bitch of my high school," Lorelai shrugged. "You know, the one who stuffed condoms into my locker along with notes about how I should have used them."

"People did that?" Luke asked. He paused and asked, "You _saw_ her?"

"Yeah, she's a fellow Chilton mom," Lorelai sighed. "Small world, huh?"

"And she made fun of you? Luke asked.

"Well, I guess when I was sixteen and pregnant I was the slut who wasn't smart enough to use birth control," Lorelai commented. "Now that I'm forty and pregnant, I'm the idiot high school mom with another accidental baby."

"She's not an accident."

"I know that and you know that, but that doesn't take away what people think," Lorelai sighed. "Anyway, I can handle it, it doesn't matter. Has April mentioned anyone named Emma to you?"

"Emma?" he asked. "No, I don't think so. Why?"

"No reason," she said. A knot was forming in the pit of her stomach.

"Damnit, Kirk," Luke shouted, causing Lorelai to wince and hold the phone away from her ear. "Sorry."

"It's okay, it's the ear that faces my mom during Friday Night Dinner," Lorelei replied. "I'll let you go."

"Call me if you need anything," Luke urged.

"I need pie and coffee."

"I mean if April needs anything."

"I know, you like her better," Lorelai sighed. "Good luck."

"Bye."

Lorelai clicked the phone off and walked back to the living room, where April was still sound asleep. She leaned down to slide her glasses off of her face and set the gently on the coffee table, wondering exactly what was going on in Chilton's halls. April wasn't usually one to complain, but Lorelai knew how catty teenage girls could be. Rory had escaped relatively unscathed, but Lorelai herself had been burned, and done some burning, during her brief high school career.

Knowing that April needed rest more than anything at the moment, Lorelai settled into the arm chair and reached for the sewing project she was working on, patiently waiting for an explanation.

It wasn't until nearly eight o'clock that night, after Lorelai had heated up some of Luke's soup for dinner and was washing out her bowl, when April shuffled into the kitchen. "Hi," she said tiredly.

"Hey there, Snow White, did Prince Charming finally kiss you awake?" Lorelai asked.

"Hardly," April shrugged. She sat down on a stool at the counter and rested her head in her hands.

"How are you feeling?" Lorelai asked. "Are you hungry?"

"No," April whispered.

"Want to head to bed?" Lorelai offered. "I'll even try to carry you."

April scoffed. "Dad would kill you."

"I can handle him," Lorelai said.

"I'm okay, really," April promised.

"Humor me and drink this," Lorelai said, handing her a glass of orange juice.

April took the glass and downed half its contents in a single tip of her head. "Can we talk?" she asked.

"Sure," Lorelai nodded. "Any particular topic you have in mind?" April was quiet, and Lorelai took the bait. "So, I was arranging the fall floral arrangements at the inn today, and I noticed that it was physically impossible to find roses in the state of Connecticut. I mean, I know roses aren't traditionally a fall flower, but, hey, everyone loves a good rose, so what's the harm in tossing it in? Apparently, I'm the only one in the state who has this particular opinion, and if I want roses I'll have to drive to New Jersey, which, lets face it, is not exactly…"

"You were popular, weren't you?" April asked. "In high school?"

Lorelai took a moment to process her question. "Depends on what you mean by popular," she said quietly.

"I mean people liked you, they wanted to be your friend," April stated. "Who could blame them? You're funny and cool."

Smiling at the compliment, Lorelai eased onto the stool beside April. "I had fun," she admitted. "But not exactly the kind of fun I want you to be having."

April nodded. "You were my age," she whispered. "When you got pregnant."

"Yeah, I was," Lorelai admitted. "April, what's going on?"

"These girls," April said, pulling at the sleeves of her pajama shirt. "They keep inviting me out."

Lorelai rubbed a hand over April's shoulder. "That's great," she said.

"No," April said. "They want me to do things."

"What kind of things?" Lorelai asked.

"Drink, smoke," April whispered. "I'm not interested, but they…I don't know, I guess you knew one of their moms. I saw pictures of you, at parties from when you were in high school."

Lorelai was shocked. " _What?"_ she asked.

"Emma brought her mom's pictures to school for a project about pop culture," April explained. "We were given the eighties. I saw you and said you were my stepmom, and Emma said she knew all about you."

Anger was quickly replacing Lorelai's shock. "What did they say?" she asked.

April shrugged. "They just say that if you're so fun and were so cool in high school, I should be more like you," she whispered. "Less like…me."

Lorelai put her palms flat on the counter and pushed herself to her feet, making a beeline for her purse. "Where are you going?" April asked.

"To give Missy Tompkins a piece of my mind," Lorelai replied.

"No, Lorelai, please don't!" April begged. "I didn't want to tell you."

Lorelai heard the desperation in her voice and dropped her keys back on the table. "Honey, you can tell me anything," she said. "What's bugging you?"

April shrugged. "I guess it's just weird for me," she admitted. "Because I look up to you so much." She was quiet, and Lorelai knew she was beating around the bush.

"I've got a thick skin, April," Lorelai promised. "I can take it."

"I don't like thinking of you like one of them," April replied. "Those snobby rich girls. They're so…entitled and mean. When I saw those pictures of you, I saw _them._ And it was weird, because you're someone I look up to."

"April, I was a kid," Lorelai said gently. "My parents didn't love me like yours do, and that life was all I knew. I was trapped, so I made the best of it. I know I was young, but I thank god every day that Rory came into my life. I changed for her, _because_ of her. If she'd never come along, I'd have stayed one of those girls."

"How do I get them to leave me alone?" April asked. "They keep telling me that I need to be more like you, and they're right. But I want to be like you now, and they want me to be like you then."

Lorelai smiled slightly at April's compliment and thought for a moment. When Rory had first started at Chilton, Lorelai hadn't been too worried. She'd encouraged her to make friends, with the girls who had things in common with Rory, and had even brought them to the Bangles concert in attempts to speed the process along. Paris and her friends had been one thing, and she'd learned her lesson that night. A Bangles concert wouldn't fix this situation.

"Well, you could start drinking coffee and talking really fast to confuse them," Lorelai said, pushing a strand of April's hair behind her ear.

April giggled. "I don't like coffee," she said.

"No one's perfect," Lorelai said. Growing serious, she asked, "How often do you have to interact with these girls?"

"Just at lunch," April sighed. "And study hall."

"Hey, Rory joined the student government and they met during study hall," Lorelai informed her. "Maybe you could join a club so you can avoid that time with them at least."

April sniffled and adjusted her glasses. "There's a forensic analysis elective opening up," she remarked.

Lorelai gasped excitedly. "Oh, you could be a detective!" she cried. "I'll totally hire you, I've been trying to prove that Taylor's overcharging for Red Vines for years."

"It's more like DNA analysis," April replied.

Snapping her fingers in disappointment, Lorelai stood and headed for the fridge. "Making friends takes time, April," she said. She scooped out a bowl of soup and said, "You should tell your mom and dad about this stuff. I'm happy to be a practice sounding board, but they need to know. And they need to hear it from you."

"I didn't want things to get bad again," April admitted. "With you and Dad."

Lorelai shook her head. "They won't, April," she promised. "He and I are like mac and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, coffee and donuts. Together through thick and thin."

"He knows about you?" April whispered. "When you were younger?"

"Yes, he's heard the rumor that I have a daughter," Lorelai confirmed.

"He knows about your life before that?" April asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "He didn't know me before," she said. "He knows me _now_ and he loves and accepts me for who I am now. I'm not proud of who I was in high school, but it did get me Rory. Maybe that's complicated for you to understand, but what matters now is you. You have to talk to him, and your mom."

April sighed. "I know." She was quiet, then said, "I'm sorry I hurt your feelings."

"Oh, that was nothing," Lorelai replied. "Forty years of dinners with Emily Gilmore makes this a walk in the park."

Before April could respond, the front door opened and Luke's tread could be heard in the hall. Lorelai offered April an encouraging smile as Luke stepped into the kitchen. "Hey," he greeted them, eyeing April with concern. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Okay," April said.

Luke looked at her carefully before he turned to Lorelai. "And you?" he asked.

"Like I'm growing a human," Lorelai replied. "I've got my mocha chip ice cream, I'm going to go enjoy it in bed."

She brushed a hand over Luke's arm as she passed him, taking in the love and gratitude she saw in his eyes. Despite her assurances to April, she really hoped that look would still be there after he heard what April had to say.

XXXXX

The following morning, Lorelai rolled over to check the clock and was surprised to see it was almost nine. She'd fallen asleep before Luke had come up the night before, and had barely moved in her sleep. A brief feeling of panic washed over her when she realized she hadn't even felt Luke join her, but she quickly realized his side of the bed was unmade and his hat was resting on his dresser, telling her that he'd slept beside her and he wasn't at work yet.

Lorelai lay on her back and stared at the ceiling for a moment before she pushed herself out of bed and searched for a pair of leggings to slip on under the flannel she'd slept in.

Ten minutes later, she found Luke on the back porch steps, a mug of tea cradled in his hands. "Hey," she said softly, leaning against the porch railing as she looked down at him.

"Hi," he said, glancing up at her.

"Some early morning contemplation?" Lorelai asked.

He nodded and pointed to the steps beside him. "Care to join me?" he asked.

Lorelai smiled and stepped down the stairs, placing a hand on his shoulder as she tried to maintain her balance. "This used to be a lot easier," she commented.

He offered her a sympathetic smile. "You were out like a light last night," he commented. "You only made it halfway through half of your ice cream."

"I was tired," Lorelai admitted. She was quiet for a moment before she asked, "Did April go to school?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "She tried, but her fever was still over a hundred," he said. "I gave her more flu medicine and she went back to bed."

"Okay," Lorelai nodded. She glanced over at him, then asked, "Did she tell you what's been bugging her?"

"Yeah."

His tone was flat and his gaze remained focused on the trees on the other end of the yard. She had no idea what he was thinking. "I'm sorry," she finally offered.

He shook his head. "You don't have to be sorry for anything," he said.

"I do," Lorelai said. "I'm not exactly the greatest role model for your daughter, I get it."

Luke exhaled sharply. "It's not that," he said. "I mean, I'd be lying if I said I want her to come home pregnant, but that's not what's bugging me."

"Okay," Lorelai said tentatively. "Tell me what is."

Old insecurities began to pop up inside of Luke, and he shook his head. "I know you never wanted that life, and I know you're happy here," he said.

"So happy," Lorelai nodded.

"It's not news to me that you were a rebellious teenager," Luke continued. "I didn't marry you because of who you were, I married you because of who you _are."_

"Back at you."

"I don't know if April never really thought about _how_ you got Rory or what, but she's really upset," Luke said softly.

Lorelai sighed. "I can't change it, Luke," she said. "I'm not going to make excuses. I don't want April to be like I was either, but I'm not going to hide who I was. If I'd never had Rory, I'd still be one of those stuffy bitches. I'd never have come to Stars Hollow."

"I know," Luke replied. "I'm not asking you to hide anything. April probably just needs time to wrap her head around this. She's going through a lot with those girls, and she's confused."

"I get that," Lorelai said. "They have clubs she can join during study hall. Hopefully she can meet some kids like her and stay away from them."

"She told me that," Luke nodded. "April loves you, Lorelai, that's why this is hard for her. She can't see past those girls who are pressuring her."

"I didn't ever take it that far," Lorelai said. "I mean, I had my fair share of alcohol and cigarettes, but I wasn't the one to force those things onto anyone else."

"I know," Luke sighed. He exhaled deeply and then reached to wrap an arm around her shoulders. She snuggled into his side and he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.

"Still love me?" she whispered into his shoulder.

His grip around her tightened. "Of course."

"Good," she said. She remained nestled in his arms for a long moment, then stiffened slightly.

"Lorelai?" he asked, worry in his eyes as she pulled back and stared down at her stomach. "What's wrong?"

She didn't respond but tilted her head to the side, one hand reaching to cup her stomach as a grin spread across her face. "Butterfly," she whispered.

"Butterfly?" Luke repeated. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she nodded, her eyes shining with happiness as she turned to look at him. "I feel the butterfly wings."

Luke frowned, trying to make sense of her comment. "What butterfly wings?" he asked.

"Our baby," Lorelai whispered. "I can feel her moving. It feels like butterfly wings."

Luke's eyes widened and his gaze turned down to her stomach. "She's moving?" he asked, his hand joining hers.

"Yeah," Lorelai replied. "A lot."

"Show me," he pleaded. "I want to feel her."

Lorelai moved his hand slightly, but murmured, "She's not strong enough yet."

Luke sighed and scooted closer. "She's really in there," he observed.

With a giggle, Lorelai leaned closer. "All of a sudden, she's just moving like crazy," she said. "Like she's swimming or something."

"I can't wait to see her again."

"Me neither," Lorelai sighed. She turned to look at him and ran a finger over the stubble of his cheek. "I hope she has your eyes."

"As long as she has your smile," Luke requested.

"Hear that, baby, I hope you're taking orders," Lorelai addressed her stomach.

"Dad?" April appeared behind them outside the back door. "TJ's on the phone. Aunt Liz just went into labor."

"What?" Luke and Lorelai asked together.

"She's not due for two weeks," Luke observed.

"Babies come early, hon," Lorelai said. "Tell them we'll take Doula."

Luke took the phone from April and hurried inside, leaving Lorelai to look up at April. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Okay," April sighed. She pulled her sweater tighter around her torso and sat down next to Lorelai on the steps. "How about you?"

"I'm good," Lorelai confirmed. "Your sister is finally letting me feel her."

April's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked.

"Yup," Lorelai turned so she was facing April. "You can't feel her yet, but you can try."

With a tentative smile, April reached out to rub her palm over Lorelai's stomach. "Is it weird?" she asked.

"Not weird, but…different," Lorelai replied. "It's nice to have people to share it with this time."

April nodded and pulled her hands back into her lap.

"So are you going to put in a formal request for a new stepmom?" Lorelai ventured.

With a scoff, April shook her head. "Applications are being rejected," she replied.

"Good," Lorelai said. "I'm sorry my past is making things hard for you."

April shrugged. "I don't know why it upsets me," she said softly. "My parents weren't exactly responsible either."

"Thank goodness for that, otherwise we wouldn't have you," Lorelai said. "I know high school is hard, April, but you're going to do amazing. You're stronger than I ever was, saying no to things you don't want to do."

"I e-mailed the head of the forensics club," April said. "You're right, I should just seek out the people who are like me."

Lorelai smiled and wrapped an arm around April's shoulders. "You ready to be a cousin?" she asked.

"I think so," April nodded.

"And you know, this is practice for us," Lorelai said. "If my calculations are correct, we have about fifteen seconds before your father comes out here with a solid childbirth rant."

On cue, the back door opened and Luke charged outside. "You're going to the hospital," he pointed a finger at Lorelai.

"But I like it here!" Lorelai protested.

"Not _now,_ when you have the baby," Luke replied. "There's no way in hell you're giving birth in the bathtub like that lunatic sister of mine."

"Duh."

"I want doctors there and machines and whatever hell else you need in case something goes wrong," Luke said. "Plus, having a kid in the place where TJ bathes is just downright disgusting."

"Agreed." Lorelai nodded firmly. "How's Liz?"

Luke glanced warily at April, who smirked. "I probably know more about this than you do, Dad," she said. "I've been researching."

Hesitantly, Luke muttered, "She's having contractions every ten minutes. Their midwife is there, but I'm going to go pick Doula up to help save her from what is sure to be a traumatic experience."

"Make sure you pick up her travel crib," Lorelai suggested. "We can keep her a couple nights."

Luke nodded and glanced between the two of them. "You're both okay?" he asked.

"Yep," Lorelai nodded. "You're about to get the full dad practice, hon. Toddler niece, sick daughter, and pregnant wife. Godspeed."

April giggled as Luke rolled his eyes. "I'll be back later," he said. He paused, then added, "If I'm not back in an hour, assume I'm being held against my will and you need to come save me."

"Only if there's a promise not to complain about my movie choice tonight," Lorelai countered.

"Fine."

"Go rescue our niece," Lorelai said, offering him a warm smile.

Luke glanced between the two of them for a moment before he turned and walked back through the door. When he was gone, Lorelai turned to April and regarded her carefully. "You're really okay?" she asked curiously.

April nodded. "Yeah," she said. She paused, then asked, "Do you think we could work Dad up to fifteen shades of red?"

Lorelai's eyes lit up and she grabbed April's arm excitedly. "We totally could," she said. "The current record of fourteen was achieved when my mother detailed all the reasons proper women of society don't breastfeed, but between you and me we could work him up to fifteen."

"We can start with you craving a food that will kick my flu back into high gear," April suggested.

"I like the way you think," Lorelai nodded. "Then we can watch the Notebook, but instead of mocking it we can cry over it."

"And wonder aloud how far along in the birthing process Aunt Liz is."

Lorelai smiled and wrapped her arm around April's shoulder. "It's good to have you as my partner in crime," she said firmly.

"You too," April said with a smile.

XXXXX

That evening, Lorelai leaned against the doorframe of her bedroom as she took in the scene before her. Doula was dressed in her pajamas and snuggled into Luke's arms as he leaned against their pillows and read her a story. His voice was soft and soothing, and Doula was sucking on her thumb gently as she rested her head against his chest.

Their entire day had been a flash forward into the future for Lorelai. Luke had arrived home with Doula by lunchtime, and they'd eaten on the porch in the fall sunshine. April had then retreated to her bedroom to catch up on some make up homework, and Lorelai had watched with an emotional heart as Luke had chased Doula through the backyard. Both exhausted themselves quickly, and during Doula's naptime Luke and Lorelai had checked on April, who'd fallen asleep in her history textbook, before retreating to the backyard for a quiet moment together.

Luke had grilled burgers for dinner and although he'd been slightly surprised at the mess Doula had made with her fingers and the ketchup bottle, had cleaned up the mess without complaint. Lorelai had then proceeded to commandeer the TV remote. Luke had gone upstairs to bathe Doula, and now Lorelai couldn't believe the sight before her.

She'd always known that Luke was a kind man. When they'd first met and she'd brought Rory to the diner, letting her daughter order food while she herself opted only for coffee, Luke had seen right through her financial concerns and placed an overwhelming amount of food onto Rory's plate that even a Gilmore wouldn't have been able to consume. A thousand other moments, including home ec projects, ice skating trips, offers to loan her money, and household repairs had given Lorelai a very solid understanding of who Luke was.

When they'd broken up and slowly started to work their way back to being friends, Lorelai had been impressed with Luke's newfound ease with children. She'd never thought she'd see him wheeling Doula's pink stroller through town or wearing April's homemade jewelry. Now, similarly, she was amazed at how easily he'd taken care of Doula today. He looked completely natural with a baby curled into his arms and Lorelai placed her hands on her own stomach, barely able to wait to see him with their own baby in five months.

A series of butterfly wings fluttered in the left side of her abdomen, and she moved her hand to the spot, cherishing the feeling of Luke's baby moving inside of her.

"Hey."

Luke's voice carried across the room and she offered him a warm smile. "You look good with a baby," she observed.

"Back at you."

She smiled and took a seat on the end of their bed, rubbing her hand over Doula's back. "We should get her to bed," she whispered.

Luke nodded and set the book aside, shifting Doula in his arms. He held her close for a long moment and then pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. He stood and gently placed the sleeping toddler into the travel crib they'd set up in the corner of their bedroom. Lorelai bent over to stroke Doula's cheek, then winced as she struggled to stand. "The whole bending over thing was a lot easier a few weeks ago," she whispered.

"Sorry," he said, placing a hand on her back.

"Come on," she murmured, taking his hand and shutting the lights out.

"Is April feeling better?" Luke asked.

"I think so," Lorelai said, heading towards the stairs. "She's in the shower."

Luke nodded and started to follow her, but his eyes landed on the door beside theirs. Lorelai realized he wasn't following her and smiled softly. "Won't be long until we do this in there," she commented.

"We need to start working on it," Luke said. "It's still empty. And that ugly weird grayish blue color."

"I know," Lorelai sighed. "I'll call Tom in the morning."

Luke nodded and started to follow her, but then stopped and headed for the door. Lorelai followed him after a beat, and smiled as she stepped into the small room. Neither of them had really spent much time in here, choosing instead to leave it empty and not spoken of, as if acknowledging its presence in their home would curse their chances of ever using it for their desired purpose.

Now, the flutters in Lorelai's stomach reminded her that there was going to be a very real occupant in this room in just a few months. Luke was right, they did have to start decorating and shopping, really preparing for the baby's arrival. "I think she already likes it," Lorelai said gently.

Luke turned to her, a small smile on his lips. "Yeah?" he asked.

"Either that or she's practicing for the Olympics," Lorelai replied. "I think she's doing somersaults."

A cross of disappointment and curiosity came across Luke's face as he reached for her. Shoving her shirt up slightly, he let his hand make contact with the skin of her stomach. "I wish I could feel her," he admitted.

"I know," Lorelai murmured. "Soon."

"Soon," he sighed. He let his thumb rub a gentle circle over her skin for another minute before he pulled her shirt back down and turned to the room. "What do you think?"

"I think she'll have a beautiful cotillion," Lorelai commented.

"Over my dead body."

She laughed and looped her arm through his. Resting her head on his shoulder she said, "I think it should be blue."

"It's already blue," Luke pointed out.

"Yes, but it's an ugly blue," Lorelai argued. "It should be softer, a sky blue or something. We both like blue, and who cares about gender stereotypes? If she really is a girl, she can sleep in a room that's painted blue."

He shrugged. "We'll see what Tom can do," he said.

Lorelai tugged on his arm and turned him to look at her. "Does this mean I get my paint chips back?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

"No way in hell," Luke replied.

"How else are we going to pick a color?" she asked.

"I'll do it," Luke shrugged.

"Yeah, I know all those HGTV shows are your real passion, the diner thing's just a front," Lorelai rolled her eyes. "At least you won't have to buy a new wardrobe."

"She does."

Lorelai smiled at his thoughtfulness. "She does," she agreed. "Are you really going to let me loose with your credit card and a baby to shop for?"

"Just remember if we can't afford to send her to school we'll have to ask your parents for money," Luke informed her.

"Okay, good point," Lorelai wrinkled her nose. She turned back to the room and said, "I want a rocking chair."

"That sounds nice."

"It will be good to rock her to sleep, or feed her in," Lorelai commented.

"We can get one."

"And a crib, obviously, a changing table," Lorelai sighed. "Some sort of decorations, we can't just shove her in a room with baby furniture."

"As long as it's not coffee, I'm good with anything," Luke stated.

"You give me so much power!" Lorelai exclaimed. "We could enlist Taylor's help and create a mural that documents Stars Hollow through time."

"No way in hell is he ever coming in here," Luke replied.

"Okay, how about Tara?" Lorelai suggested. "We can hang a hooped skirt from the ceiling instead of a mobile."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Luke asked.

"Gone with the Wind," Lorelai replied. "Wow, I'm surprised Rory gave you permission to marry me when you couldn't pick up on a simple Tara reference."

"Let's not tell her," Luke requested. "I don't her serving us with divorce papers."

Lorelai giggled. "We could make the theme something you like," she said. "Put a grill and mini counter in."

"Now you're being ridiculous."

"That is no way to speak to the mother of your child!"

He tried to remain stubborn, but her words caused a smile to tug at his lips. "How about fish?" he asked.

"Fish?" Lorelai scrunched her nose. "Like trout and fishing poles and stuff?"

"No, like an aquarium," Luke said.

Lorelai smiled softly at his enthusiasm. "That sounds nice," she said.

"We could get stencils, paint some of those colorful tropical fish on the wall," he said. "Maybe get some curtains that look like waves, and her crib can have blue pillows, like the ocean."

"I like it," Lorelai informed him.

"Really?" he asked, turning to look at her.

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded. "It's peaceful. We have the boat, so it's kind of a nice tie in. Plus, if we're completely wrong and it's a boy, we won't have to come up with another idea."

"Right," Luke agreed. "Or if…"

"If what?" Lorelai asked curiously.

Luke put his hands on his lips and cleared his throat, looking down at his feet. "If we decide to have another one," he mumbled.

Lorelai smiled softly at the thought. "Let's worry about the one who's already cooking," she said. "Maybe in a couple years we can see what the stars hold for us."

"Of course," he nodded, stepping closer. "It's getting so real."

Lorelai smiled and took his hand, guiding it to the spot on her stomach where the baby was rolling. "And it will only keep getting that way," she whispered. "You ready for it?"

He leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers. "Been ready forever," he murmured.


	4. Chapter 4

**I hope some of you in the US were able to make it to Luke's this week! I waited in line for a long time, but it was completely worth it. Enjoy the new chapter!**

* * *

Lorelai watched with an amused smile as her husband stood beside her, his brow furrowed in concentration as he flipped through the questionnaire she'd just completed for the doctor's review.

"Moderate amounts of fruits and vegetables?" he asked. "Really?"

She giggled and shifted on the exam table. "I had a piece of celery last night," she reminded him.

"Dipped in peanut butter and smothered with raisins."

"Which are a grape."

He rolled his eyes and handed the clipboard back to her. "At least you were honest about the caffeine," he said with a sigh.

"I'm barely drinking any," Lorelai commented.

"I know, and I appreciate it," he said, brushing a hand over her stomach. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I mean, it's not the most comfortable experience in the world, but hopefully we'll get a clear picture."

He let out a deep breath. "It's just so real," he admitted. "In the next hour, we'll know if we're having a boy or a girl."

Lorelai smiled softly. "I know it's a lot," she said quietly.

"It makes it seem more real," Luke said.

"Did you think I was just getting fat?" Lorelai asked with a raised eyebrow.

"With the way you eat it wouldn't have been surprising," he teased.

Lorelai let out a gasp. "And I was planning on wining and dining you tonight," she said. "You're on your own now."

"Good, I'll be able to watch the Red Sox without commentary," he shot back.

"Mean!" Lorelai cried. "I could kick you out of here and leave you to wonder about your child's gender for as long as I want."

He smiled and reached out to brush her hair over her shoulder. "You know I'm kidding, right?" he murmured.

"Yes," she nodded confidently. "But we never know when hormonal Lorelai will take over. As proven by your spending your entire morning tracking Taylor down so you could buy his entire supply of triple chocolate fudge."

"What the baby wants, the baby gets," Luke confirmed.

"And since I speak for the baby, that means I get whatever I want!" Lorelai deduced.

With a good natured eye roll, Luke muttered, "Not like that's any different than before."

She giggled. "It's only because you love me and want me to be happy," she reminded him.

Luke only responded by reaching to play with her hair, offering her the enamored look that always gave her spine tingles

There was a swift knock on the door, and their doctor breezed in without waiting for permission. "Lorelai, Luke, good to see you again," she nodded.

"Hi, Dr. Morgan," Lorelai said.

After washing her hands, the doctor flipped through her notes with a satisfied nod. "Everything looks good," she confirmed. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good," Lorelai confirmed. "Just some back aches and swollen ankles. The second trimester's been treating me well."

"Enjoy it while it lasts," the doctor recommended. "Just a few more weeks before we reach the home stretch." She slipped on a pair of gloves and asked, "I assume you want to do the ultrasound first?"

"Please," Lorelai confirmed, turning to Luke. "This is it."

He offered her a small smile and reached for her hand. She beamed up at him, then turned to the screen. Dr. Morgan covered Lorelai's stomach with gel, then gently pressed the sonar detector to her abdomen. With her free hand, she pressed a few keys on the monitor, and a moment later the screen flashed to life with an image of the baby.

"Wow," Luke muttered, leaning closer. "She's gotten big."

Lorelai squeezed his hand. "She actually looks like a baby now." They both watched, entranced, as the baby rolled slightly, and Lorelai let out a soft gasp. "I felt that."

"She'll be more active for the next couple months," Dr. Morgan said softly. "But then she'll slow down towards the end when she starts to run out of room."

"Can't wait for that," Lorelai muttered.

"She?" Luke tore his gaze away from the image of his baby to look closely at the doctor. "You said she. She's a she?"

"She's a girl," Dr. Morgan confirmed with a smile. "She's giving us a good look."

Lorelai smiled at Luke, her eyes glistening. "This is probably the only time we'll be proud of her showing that off," she commented.

Luke ignored her and turned back to the screen, scrutinizing the image. "A girl," he said softly.

"Hi, Victoria," Lorelai turned back to the screen.

Luke's breath hitched as he heard the name on Lorelai's tongue, and she leaned back to him. Without taking his eyes off the screen, he pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "I love you," he murmured into her hair.

"Ditto," Lorelai whispered. "And we both love you." Her free hand rested against the screen for a moment. "She's beautiful."

"She is," Luke agreed. "I could watch her forever."

"I'll watch her with you," Lorelai promised.

Dr. Morgan offered them a smile. "Take another good look," she recommended. "I'll send a video home with you."

"We'll keep it on repeat," Lorelai smiled. She watched as the baby reached her arms out, then curled back up.

"Can you feel that?" Luke asked Lorelai.

"Yeah," she confirmed. "God, it's so clear. Last time I could barely make Rory out."

"When will I be able to feel her?" Luke asked the doctor curiously.

Dr. Morgan turned back to the screen. "It's different for every baby," she replied. "But your daughter is growing well, she's a healthy size for this point in her development. Within the next couple weeks, Lorelai will start to feel kicks and punches instead of rolls and flutters. Once that happens, you should be able to feel her moving."

"A couple weeks," Luke repeated. "Okay."

"Okay, last look," Dr. Morgan informed them.

Lorelai sighed and blew a kiss to the screen. "Keep growing, baby girl," she said. "I hope you're happy with me."

Dr. Morgan flipped the machine off, then handed Lorelai a towel to clean the gel off her stomach. "I'll give you two a minute while I print you some pictures," she said. "I'll be back in a few minutes for your exam."

She slipped out of the room and Lorelai concentrated on clearing the gel from her stomach for a moment. When she turned back to Luke, she was grinning. "We were right," she said. "She's perfect."

"She's beautiful," Luke confirmed.

Lorelai's gaze softened when she saw him struggling to control his emotions. "I'm not going to lose my title, am I?" she asked, her tone playful in attempts to distract him.

"Title?" he asked.

"Yeah, you call me beautiful girl all the time," Lorelai replied. "I'm not going to be replaced, am I?"

"Never," Luke shook his head. "I'll think of something else to call her."

"Good, because I've become accustomed to my beauty being confirmed on a daily basis," Lorelai replied. "Losing that may make me unstable."

Knowing she was trying to amuse him, Luke played along. "Wouldn't take much," he commented, flashing her a grateful smile.

Lorelai giggled and reached for his hand. She placed it over her still exposed stomach and met his eyes with a happy smile. "We have another daughter," she whispered.

His own eyes were shining as he ran his thumb tenderly over Lorelai's skin. "I can't wait to meet her," he admitted.

"Me either," Lorelai whispered. "Victoria Danes. She's got big shoes to fill, from what I hear."

A brief flash of sadness flickered through Luke's gaze, but disappeared with a single blink. "She'll fill them," he confirmed. "I have no doubts about that."

"Hey Luke?"

"Hmm?"

"I really like you."

He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "Back at you, beautiful girl."

XXXXX

"A girl?" Rory cried over the phone line later that night. "Oh, Mom, that's awesome!"

Lorelai smiled softly. "Yeah, we think so," she agreed.

"Now you won't have to learn about sports," Rory enthused.

"I wouldn't be so quick to make that statement," Lorelai sighed. "Luke was reading her baseball stats when he thought I was napping this afternoon."

"He's trying to turn my sister into a tomboy!" Rory cried.

Lorelai shrugged as she walked past the gazebo. "Don't worry, I've still got a long time to brainwash her," she said.

"Good," Rory said. "For every sport thing Luke tells her, you should read her two articles from Vogue."

"I like the way you think, firstborn."

Rory was quiet for a moment, then said, "I guess I'm officially not your favorite daughter anymore, am I?" she asked.

Lorelai could hear the childlike tone of Rory's voice and fought off her own sadness. She loved the baby she was carrying with her entire being, but there was no way they'd ever have the unique bond she had with Rory. "Well, you're both in first place," Lorelai said. "You're running different races."

"Oh my god, he's got you making sports references now!" Rory exclaimed, the jealousy gone from her voice.

Lorelai gasped in realization. "Quick, say something girly to make me snap out of it," she said.

"Votes for women!" Rory cried.

"Hi, that was like a hundred years ago," Lorelai said.

"It was the best I could come up with at the last minute," Rory said defensively. "Solidarity, sister!"

"Amen," Lorelai sighed, pushing the door to Luke's open. She frowned when she realized that her stool was taken. "Someone's in my spot."

"What?" Rory asked.

"I'm at the diner," Lorelai reported. "Someone stole my spot at the counter."

"So sit somewhere else," Rory suggested.

"I can't do that!" Lorelai replied. "It'll confuse the baby."

"I think the baby just wants food."

"No, the baby is used to me sitting in the exact same stool every day," Lorelai insisted. She glanced curiously around the diner and frowned when she didn't see Luke. "And Luke's not here."

"Is he supposed to be there?"

"Well, he said he was going to work," Lorelai commented. "I assume he meant here because he quit his job at the factory."

"What factory?"

"The flannel and baseball cap factory," Lorelai replied. "He kept getting accused of stealing the merchandise."

"He should have hidden his cover better," Rory commented.

"Okay, I'm going to go track down my husband," Lorelai said. "We're still on for October, right?"

"In all my birthday glory," Rory replied. "And I'm still expecting a full Lorelai Gilmore birthday weekend. Pregnancy is no excuse, missy."

"Don't worry, I've got it under control," Lorelai informed her. "Bye, hon. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom," Rory replied before she hung up the phone.

Lorelai snapped her phone shut and crossed her arms over her chest, frowning at the man sitting clueless to his error in her stool. "Luke so needs to put a reserved sign on that stool," she muttered. She sighed and approached the other end of the counter, where Cesar was replacing ketchup bottles. "Hey, Cesar," she greeted him.

"Oh, hey, Lorelai," he looked up. "Wow, you're looking great!"

"Uh, thanks," she said. She nodded towards the kitchen and asked, "Is Luke cooking?"

"No, he's upstairs," Cesar replied.

"Upstairs?" Lorelai frowned. "Why?"

Cesar's face filled with panic, and he said, "I mean, he's not upstairs. He went…downstairs."

"There's no downstairs," Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "What's going on?"

Cesar stepped in front of her as she tried to step towards the stairs. "You can't go up there," he informed her.

"Yes, I can," she said.

"Lorelai, please," Cesar said.

Lorelai's eyes filled with tears as she looked at him. "Cesar, the baby and I just want to see Luke," she whimpered, melting her face into her pout for good measure. "You're not going to deny a pregnant woman and her baby anything, are you?"

Cesar sighed and stepped aside. "At least tell him I tried to stop you," he requested.

"Ha!" Lorelai cried, the tears gone as quickly as they'd come. "I have these pregnancy break downs nailed!"

She left a stunned Cesar in her wake as she climbed the stairs, curious as to what she was going to find in Luke's old apartment. As far as she knew, he had been using the abandoned area for storage the past year, but she couldn't remember the last time she'd been up there.

When she approached the door, she realized it was slightly ajar, and peered through slightly. Seeing nothing in what had once been the kitchen, she pushed the door open. "Luke?" she called. "You up here?"

He popped out of his former bedroom, a surprised expression on his face. "Hey," he said, rushing to her and placing his hands on her waist, preventing her from crossing the threshold. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm always here," Lorelai replied. "Luke fix."

"Okay, let's get you some pie," he said, turning her back to the stairs.

"Wait, what are you doing up here?" she asked, resisting his guidance.

"Nothing," he replied.

"It's not nothing, you're never up here anymore," Lorelai persisted.

"How about some coffee?" Luke suggested. "Full caffeine, no lectures."

Lorelai paused for a moment, considering his tempting offer, before she tried to push past him. "I want to see what you were doing," she insisted.

"Lorelai…"

She paused and turned to frown at him. "You're not hiding a sex captive in there, are you?" she asked.

He smirked. "Nope, she's right in front of me," he replied, trying to kiss her neck.

"Not going to work," she said distractedly, pulling back from his reach. "Got a drug deal going on? Watching porn?"

"No, and again, why do I need porn? I have you."

She scowled. "You know when is _not_ the time to call your wife a porn star?" she asked. "When you're being mean and secretive."

"It's nothing bad, I promise," he said.

"Then show me."

Luke sighed and placed his hands on his head for a moment. He stared up at the ceiling and let out a stressed breath. "Fine."

"Thank you."

After letting out one last frustrated sigh, Luke took her hand and led her back to the apartment. "Okay, I wanted to surprise you with this," he said. "It's not done yet, so keep an open mind."

"Mind is cleared," Lorelai confirmed. Luke led her around the corner and her eyes widened as she took in the sight before her. "Oh my god," she whispered.

Luke shrugged self consciously and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Like I said, it's not finished," he said.

"It looks pretty finished to me," Lorelai murmured, stepping closer to the mahogany crib that sat where his bed used to. "Luke…"

"Be careful," Luke insisted. "There might be nails or something on the floor."

"I'm fine," she dismissed. "I can't believe you did this."

He waved a hand casually through the air as he looked for an explanation. "I just thought…she needs a place to sleep, and I hadn't made anything in awhile, so…"

Tears were glistening in Lorelai's eyes as she turned to look at him. "Luke, this is the sweetest thing you've ever done," she stated. "You've successfully passed the extraordinarily high bar you set for yourself."

"It's not a big deal," he said.

"It is a big deal, it's a very big deal," she insisted, turning back to the crib. "It's beautiful."

"She can't sleep in a store bought crib."

Lorelai shook her head as she ran a hand over her stomach. "Look at this, Victoria," she murmured. "Daddy's already spoiling you rotten."

"I still have to sand it down," Luke murmured. "And finish it. I want to get it inspected, too, so we know it's safe."

"Of course it's safe, her dad made it for her," Lorelai whispered. "This is…Luke, I don't even have words."

He stepped closer and ran a hand over her back. "I was going to have it all set up in her nursery," he sighed. "I've been working on it during lulls since you told me you're pregnant."

"And I ruined the surprise," Lorelai said. "Oh, Luke, I'm sorry. I should have let you do it your way."

"It's okay," he shrugged. "But don't expect some big elaborate moment once we get it home."

"Big elaborate moment is now," Lorelai nodded. She leaned back into him and he wrapped an arm around her waist as they both looked into the crib. "In just a few months she'll be sleeping in there."

"Hopefully," Luke agreed. "As long as it's safe."

"Luke, you're the one who spent two hours grilling the guy at the Honda dealership on child safety when we bought the CRV," Lorelai replied. "You're not going to put her in a crib without making sure it's perfect."

"Of course not," Luke said. "She deserves the best."

Lorelai turned in his arms and looped her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she said softly. "This means more than you'll ever know."

He smiled as he leaned down to kiss her. She returned the kiss eagerly, pressing her body as close to his as possible, and after a few moments he pulled back. As he gazed down at her with an expression of love and admiration, Lorelai felt butterflies in her stomach that had nothing to do with their baby.

"Have dinner with me," he requested.

Confusion filled her eyes. "We have dinner together every night," she reminded him.

"No," he shook his head. "We should go out. On a date."

"A date?" Lorelai asked, a glimmer appearing in her eye. "Like…dinner and champagne and talking and sex?"

"Take away the champagne and yes, that's what I mean," Luke replied.

Lorelai smiled, but traces of confusion were still present on her face. "But…why?" she asked.

He shrugged and reached out to twirl a strand of her hair around his finger. "Why not?" he asked.

"Uh, because we're married and you hated dating," Lorelai replied.

"I never hated dates with you," Luke replied. "Yes, we're married, but that doesn't mean we can't go out and have fun, right? I don't want to lose _us_ because we're going to have a baby."

Understanding came across Lorelai's face and she nodded. "Why, Butch, I'm so flattered!" she exclaimed, fanning herself with her hand.

"Aw, jeez."

"We can go to the movies and then drive out to lovers' lane," Lorelai continued. "But you know, I won't go past hand holding. I'm as pure as snow."

He scoffed. "And you and Rory have delicate stomachs," he muttered.

"You know, the captain of the football team also asked me out," Lorelai commented. "If you're not nice, I'll go hold his hand."

Deciding the only way out of this bit was to play along, Luke reached for her hand and tugged her closer to him. "Football captain, huh?" he asked.

"Yep, he's so desperately in love with me he missed the winning touchdown," Lorelai stated. "I have the power of distraction, you know."

"Oh, I know," Luke murmured. "I'll be nice."

He leaned down to kiss her deeply, his hands running smoothly over her back as he traced her lips with his tongue. Lorelai moaned in pleasure before she looped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to him. After a few minutes, Luke pulled back to give them both some air. Panting heavily, he ran a finger over her cheek and asked, "So how about that date?"

Lorelai giggled. "You've got yourself a girl for Friday night, Butch," she confirmed.

He smiled contentedly and nodded. "Good."

"It will be," Lorelai said before she pulled him in for another kiss.

XXXXX

"This is insane," Lorelai called from her bathroom two nights later.

"Why?" April asked from where she was sitting cross legged on Luke and Lorelai's bed, a book spread open in her lap.

"Because there is absolutely no reason for me to be nervous," Lorelai called back. "Your dad and I have gone on like…six hundred dates."

"None since I've lived here," April pointed out.

There was silence coming from the bathroom for a moment before Lorelai's voice came. "Yeah, I've been a neglectful wife, I get it."

"I didn't say that," April sighed, setting the book aside. "It's just Dad. He loves you, you know that."

"But this dress makes me look…I don't know, like a tomato or something," Lorelai replied.

"Just come out," April insisted. "He's going to be home soon."

"Promise not to laugh," Lorelai requested.

"I promise," April replied.

There was a pause before the bathroom door creaked open and Lorelai appeared, clad in a dark red dress that clung to her stomach and then flowed to her knees. Her hair was curled softly around her shoulders, and her lips glistened with lip gloss. "Too much?" Lorelai asked, biting her lower lip.

April shook her head. "No," she said.

"Tell me, should I change?" Lorelai asked. "Is the red too much?"

"No, you look great," April promised. "Really, Dad's going to be completely speechless."

"That doesn't take much," Lorelai reminded her.

"Speechless in a good way," April added.

Lorelai sighed as she walked to her dresser and hooked an earring into her ear. "Which shoes?" she asked.

"You know, I never thought I'd see the day where _you_ asked _me_ for fashion advice," April commented.

"You have to learn somehow," Lorelai replied. "The black heels are classy, they say, 'hey, I'm a lady, but I can also be a dame.' But the boots are way more comfortable. And warm."

"Then go with the boots," April nodded. With a smirk, she added, "Dad knows you're not a lady."

Lorelai gasped as she sat down on the end of the bed. "And to think that I was the one who convinced him to let you stay out until eleven instead of ten last weekend," she said. "We're glad you're making good, real friends at Chilton, but he still needed a little convincing."

April smiled. "Thanks for that, by the way," she said.

"That's what I do, tell Luke Danes when he's being unreasonable," Lorelai replied. "Then talk until he'll do anything to get me to shut up."

"I'm aware."

"He thought marrying me would do the trick, but he had another thing coming," Lorelai confirmed. She zipped her second boot and stood, running her hands over her stomach. "Are you sure I don't look like a pregnant hooker?"

"Positive."

"Okay, good," Lorelai shook her head. "God, this is ridiculous. I'm nervous to go out to dinner with my own husband."

"It's understandable," April said, her voice taking on its scientist tone. "But from an animalistic perspective, when a male impregnates a female, the hormones that female gives off make the male instinctually more attracted to her."

"So the only reason Luke thinks I'm hot is because he knocked me up?" Lorelai surmised.

April wrinkled her nose. "Ew."

"Sorry," Lorelai laughed. She hooked a necklace around her neck and asked, "You'll really be okay here tonight?"

"I'm fine, Lorelai," April nodded.

"Okay, well, we should be home by eleven, so make sure the keg is gone by then," Lorelai requested.

"It will look as though it was never here," April promised.

"Good girl." The door cracked open downstairs and Luke's voice called a greeting. "Upstairs!" Lorelai called back before she turned to April. "I left some money on the kitchen counter if you want to order a pizza."

"Thanks, Lorelai."

"Hey, what are you both doing up here?" Luke appeared in the doorway.

April stepped forward and patted her father on the arm. "Tell her how good she looks," she said. "She doesn't believe me."

With that, she disappeared down the hallway and Luke turned to Lorelai. His eyes widened as he took her in, and he swallowed hard as he put his hands on his hips. "Wow," he said simply.

Lorelai smiled fondly. "Wow to you too," she said. "I like the flannel. Trying a new look, are you?"

Snapping out of his mesmerized daze, Luke rolled his eyes and stepped towards the closet. "Give me ten minutes," he requested.

"You know, you're constantly lecturing me about never being ready, but now I have to wait for you," Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest. "This is so not fair."

Luke stepped out of the closet and tossed a sweater onto the bed before he started buttoning his black pants. "I'm sorry," he said sarcastically. "Just another seven hundred times and we'll be even."

Lorelai's eyes swept over his bare chest. "You know, we could skip dinner," she stated. "Stay here, have a sexy night."

"April's home," Luke replied.

"Well, according to her, I'm radiating hormones that make you want me," Lorelai reported.

"True," Luke nodded. "But I'm taking you to dinner."

She smiled softly. "If you're not careful people are going to realize how romantic you are," she stated.

"Not if you keep your mouth shut," Luke replied.

"I'm not going to tell anyone," Lorelai promised. "I like being the only one who gets to see this side of you."

He reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "The only one who ever has," he confirmed.

" _Ever?"_ Lorelai asked.

"Yeah," he pulled his sweater over his head.

"You had girlfriends," Lorelai argued. "You were _married."_

"Yeah, but I didn't…love them like I love you," Luke replied.

"So you just ignored them?" Lorelai asked.

"No," Luke argued. "Well, maybe a little. I never did half the things I do with you for anyone else."

 _You want to know the last time I bought anyone flowers…never! Very easy stat to remember._

Lorelai smiled. "I do love feeling special," she confirmed.

"Good, because you are."

"Oh my god, I'm going to have to start writing these lines down," Lorelai teased. "Make a collage, hang it from the bell tower."

Luke rolled his eyes as he finished tying his shoes. "Come on," he said.

Lorelai followed him down the hall, and after they'd called a quick goodbye to April, they were out the door and settled into their new car. "Still hate it?" Luke asked.

"I never hated it," Lorelai defended.

Luke offered her a skeptical gaze. "You sat in the front of the Jeep and told me you were staging a sit in," he said.

Lorelai shrugged. "A lot happened in that car," she replied. "I bought it when Rory was fourteen. It got her to Chilton, it took us on many a road trip, and we had many a rehashing of Friday Night Dinner in that car."

He reached out to squeeze her knee. "I know you loved it," he nodded.

"You loved it too," Lorelai replied.

"The car seat wouldn't fit," Luke argued.

"Which is the only reason I caved," Lorelai replied. "But you liked the Jeep. Or, more specifically, one night when we steamed up those plastic windows."

Luke shook his head. "I still don't know how the hell we managed to do that," he commented.

"It helps that I'm bendy," Lorelai informed him.

"That you are," he agreed.

Lorelai was quiet before she said, "It's going to be different, after the baby comes. I'm not sixteen anymore, everything's not going to snap back into place."

"Hey," Luke caught her hand and squeezed it tightly. He glanced at her before he returned his attention to the road. "I'll still want you."

"That's easy to say now."

"Always," he promised. He pulled the car into a parking spot and cut the engine, then turned to look at her with a fond smile.

Lorelai nodded, then smirked. "So did getting married mean you won't help a lady down anymore?" she asked.

With a hand squeeze, Luke quickly slid out of the car and walked around to her side. She gripped his hand as she stepped down with a grimace. "Ugh, this used to be easier," she stated.

Luke didn't let go of her hand as they walked into a small Italian restaurant, one they had frequented in the early days of their relationship. After ordering, Luke took a sip of his beer and then set it on the table, admiring Lorelai as she broke off a piece of garlic bread. Feeling his eyes on her, she paused and looked up. "What?" she asked.

He shook his head and took her free hand in his. "You're beautiful," he told her.

Lorelai's eyes were dancing as she laced her fingers through his. "What's with you lately?" she asked. "Not that I'm complaining, but this whole date, sweet talk, lovey dovey act is _so_ not you."

Luke sighed and pulled his hand back, leaning back in his chair. "I love Victoria," he said softly. "You know that."

"Yes, the crib building and kisses to my stomach have confirmed that," Lorelai said. She tilted her head to the side and requested, "Luke, talk to me."

He was quiet before he leaned forward again and admitted, "Last time a kid came into our lives, it crushed us."

Lorelai felt a mix of emotions crash over her. Understanding, fear, confusion, and uncertainty were the front runners as she cleared her throat. "What's your point?" she asked quietly.

"I just don't want it to happen again," he said. "I've never done this before, Lorelai, and I'm scared. Not just of being around a newborn, but of losing you to her. Of losing us." Lorelai's jaw dropped, and he immediately shook his head. "It's stupid, I know. I'll get over it."

"Are you saying you don't want her?" Lorelai asked. "Kind of late for that."

"That's not what I'm saying at all," Luke said quickly. "Don't think that for a second."

"Then what's wrong?" Lorelai asked. "This isn't a grown kid dropping in out of nowhere. This isn't us keeping huge parts of ourselves from each other. This is our daughter, Luke. We created her together, we're going to share her."

"I know," Luke nodded. "Maybe I'm just being selfish, but I…I don't want to lose our relationship to Victoria."

"Luke, she's a baby," Lorelai insisted. "She needs us."

"Of course she does," Luke said. "And she'll be the center of our lives, that's the way it should be. But I want to make sure that sometimes, not often, but sometimes, you and I can have some time alone. To do this, to enjoy our marriage."

Lorelai nodded. "I'd like that a lot," she said.

Luke met her gaze tentatively. "Really?" he asked.

"Really," Lorelai nodded. "Babies are a lot of work, and it's a different world now than when I had Rory. We'll learn to do this together, to share her and parenting responsibilities. But you're right, we need to make sure we work at our relationship too. I don't want to lose our marriage to become Victoria's parents. We can be both."

Luke smiled and held up his beer. "To Victoria?" he asked, nodding to her stomach.

With a nod, Lorelai held up her glass of iced tea and clinked it against his. "And to us," she agreed. She took a sip and then ran a hand over her stomach. "Sorry, pretty girl, no more talk about you tonight." She raised her gaze to Luke's and smiled. "Tonight, we're Luke and Lorelai. We'll be Mommy and Daddy soon enough."

Luke reached across the table to squeeze her hand. "Thanks," he said. "For listening."

Lorelai returned the hand squeeze. "You'd done it for me forever," she said. "Another seven hundred times and we'll be even."

XXXXX

"Luke." Lorelai sat up in her darkened bedroom, leaning over her husband's sleeping form as she tapped his shoulder. "Luke, wake up."

He groaned and lazily rolled onto his back. "What's wrong?" he mumbled. "You okay?"

"I need mashed potatoes."

Luke threw an arm over his eyes and took a deep breath inward. "What?" he asked after a long moment.

"I need mashed potatoes," Lorelai repeated. "With butter and garlic. Oh, and some cheese sprinkled on top. Like, right now."

"It's…" Luke lifted his head to look at the clock. "Three in the morning. Wait until tomorrow."

"I can't wait!" Lorelai insisted. "I want them so badly, Luke, I can't sleep."

"And I'm assuming the instant stuff won't do?" Luke asked.

"No!" Lorelai gasped. "I want real potatoes with lots of butter and a little bit of cheese and…oh, god, Luke, I want it now."

Her voice was bordering on desperation, and he groaned as he sat up. "You know, you used to beg me like that for something else," he said, trying to ignore the tightness in his sweatpants as Lorelai moaned.

"Give me mashed potatoes and I'll take care of it," Lorelai promised.

He disappeared into the bathroom and returned a moment later, more alert after having splashed some water on his face. "Don't get used to this," he stated.

"It's not for me," Lorelai promised. "It's for Victoria."

Luke's face melted and he leaned down to kiss her. "What are the chances of you coming downstairs to keep me company?" he asked.

"Are you going to leave the lumps in?" she asked.

Debating which answer was right, Luke finally shook his head. "Nope, they'll be completely mashed and whipped."

He knew it was the right answer when he heard a " _Dirty!"_ escape from Lorelai's lips. "I'll come join you."

"At least I won't be alone and cooking in the middle of the night," Luke sighed. As he led her into the kitchen and began pulling potatoes out of the fridge, he shook his head slightly. "Wow, talk about flashing back in time," he muttered.

Lorelai leaned against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. "This was the only thing Rory would eat when she had the chicken pox," she commented.

"Yes, I do believe that was the first time you called me in a rambling panic," Luke replied.

"I was a desperate mother," Lorelai replied. "My poor baby was itchy and miserable, and all she wanted was mashed potatoes. I brought her some from Al's and she yelled at me for the first time in her life. She had been very specific that she needed _Luke's_ mashed potatoes."

He shook his head slightly. "Yeah, she wouldn't let me leave," he remembered.

"You played Monopoly with us," Lorelai remembered. "And even in her weakened state, that little brainiac totally kicked our asses."

"That she did," Luke shook his head. "God, she was an adorable kid."

"She has good genes," Lorelai said proudly.

"Hopefully Victoria gets those same genes," Luke replied.

Lorelai watched as he poured some milk into the mixing bowl and began mashing them. "I don't know, I think I want her to have some of her dad in her," she commented.

"Yeah?" Luke asked, offering her a sly smile. "Like what?"

"His kindness," Lorelai said. "His determination, and desire to do anything for the people he loves. His eyes."

Luke smiled as he looked at her. "I think she'll be a good mix of both of us," he said confidently.

"Me too," Lorelai sighed. She watched as he scraped the potatoes into a pan and placed it on the stove. He turned the burner on and mixed the potatoes gently before he covered the pan and turned to her. "Come here," Lorelai requested.

Luke obeyed without hesitation, stepping into her open arms and hugging her loosely. She sighed contentedly as she snuggled into his chest, the soft fabric of his t-shirt smooth against her cheek. "I could stay like this forever," she admitted.

"Me too," he murmured into her hair. He ran his hands up and down her back lightly, then laughed lightly.

"What?" Lorelai asked, pulling back slightly.

"You weren't kidding with how hungry you are," Luke said. "I can feel your stomach rumbling."

Lorelai's eyes widened slightly. She grabbed his hand and held it to the right side of her stomach, remaining still for a moment. "Is that what you're talking about?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. "You should have told me you were so hungry before bed, I would have made these then."

"Luke," she whispered, her eyes meeting his happily. "That's your baby."

Luke frowned down at her for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. "It's her?" he asked. "She's moving?"

"Like crazy," Lorelai said. "She's getting stronger."

"Wow," Luke whispered.

Lorelai tilted her head to the side as she focused on the movement in her stomach, then moved Luke's hand down a little. "Feel that?"

His faced was furrowed in concentration, the same way it was when he read one of Rory's articles. "Not really," he admitted disappointedly.

"How about there?" Lorelai asked, moving his hand again.

Luke started to shake his head, but then froze when a strong kick was delivered to his hand. "Oh my god," he gasped.

"She's putting on a show," Lorelai said with a giggle.

"I can't believe she's really in there," Luke murmured, his other hand moving to her stomach, lifting her shirt slightly. "She's strong!"

Lorelai ran an affectionate hand over Luke's hair as he bent over her stomach. "She can hear, you know," she murmured. "If you talk to her, she'll know your voice when she's born."

Luke traced a finger over the top of her curved stomach. "Hi, sweetheart," he whispered against her skin. "I'm your dad, and I love you so much."

Tears filled Lorelai's eyes as she looked down at him. She briefly flashed back to a time, years ago, when Luke had been the man who'd poured her coffee. They'd been friends, but their lives had been so completely separate, and she'd never thought he'd be the kind of man to talk to her stomach and put down all his walls in front of her.

"I love you, Luke."

She heard herself say the words, and the expression on Luke's face when he turned his attention to her made her heart skip a beat.

"I love you too," he murmured as he rose back to his full height.

Lorelai swallowed hard at the look his was giving her. "Luke," she sighed, her hand moving to rub over his shoulder.

"Hmm?" he sighed, leaning into her and breathing in her scent.

"I don't want mashed potatoes anymore."

He pulled back to look at her, and he nodded in understanding. "Okay," he said. He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead before he turned back to the stove and flicked it off, stowing the pot in the fridge without bothering to transfer its contents to a sealed container.

When the door closed behind him, he turned to Lorelai and wordlessly held out his hand. She took it instantly and they made their way back up to their bedroom. As soon as the door was closed and locked, Luke immediately began unbuttoning Lorelai's flannel. Halfway down, he paused and pulled back, his eyes reading hers carefully. "You're okay?" he asked. "Don't feel like you have to."

She shook her head and cupped his face in her hands. "I want it," she promised. "I want _you."_

Her eyes didn't match her words, and Luke frowned. "What is it?" he asked.

"It's been a week," Lorelai reminded him. "Things are different. _I'm_ different."

"Lorelai, you're beautiful," he assured her. "Please don't be shy."

She nodded carefully. "Okay," she said, squeezing her eyes closed. "Okay."

Luke continued to unbutton the flannel, shoving it over her shoulders and taking her in as the shirt dropped to the floor. "Wow," he breathed.

"One rule," Lorelai said, biting her lip nervously. "My boobs, they're…really sore."

"Hands off," Luke nodded. "Got it."

Signaling that she was officially getting into the mood, Lorelai stepped closer and pulled his t-shirt over his head. "Not completely off," she requested. "We'll save _that_ for when I'm not pregnant anymore."

He nodded and ran his hands up and down her arms. "Looking forward to it," he confirmed.

Lorelai smirked as she reached into his sweat pants. "I'm looking forward to this," she stroked him gently. "Being inside of me."

Luke let out a deep sigh and nodded. Lorelai pulled back and sat down on the edge of the bed, watching with a smile as Luke kicked out of his pants and sat down beside her.

"You look good naked," she informed him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"So do you."

Lorelai kissed him deeply, then pushed him onto his back. He shifted until his head was resting against the pillows, his eyes glazing over as he watched Lorelai kneel beside him. "Lorelai," he sighed.

"You've been so patient," she whispered, trailing her fingers over his thigh. "Everything I've asked for or needed, you've delivered. I want to give you want you need."

"I need you," he pleaded.

"I can tell," Lorelai teased a hand over his hardness before she returned to stroking his thigh. "Tell me."

"Lorelai," he gasped, his mind starting to cloud.

"Tell me," she insisted. "I'm not going to break, Luke. Tell me how you want me."

Luke stared up at her with desire in his eyes. "I just want _you,"_ he said, his voice heavy with need. "Any way you want it. Take control."

Lorelai's breath caught at the tone of his voice, and she smiled as she reached out to run her hands up his stomach to his chest. She braced herself against him as she swung a leg over him, straddling his waist. "How's this?" she murmured.

"Perfect," Luke replied, looking up to meet her heated gaze. Her hair was curling around her shoulders, her eyes a dark, stormy blue, and her perfectly rounded stomach brushed against his as she leaned over to reach for his hands.

"Good," Lorelai said. Holding one of his hands tightly in hers, she carefully reached between them to stroke his hardness. He moaned and arched his head back against the pillows as Lorelai gently guided him to her folds. When he felt her begin to sink onto him, he opened his eyes to watch her. She was moving painfully slowly, allowing them both to savor the feeling of him inching into her warmth.

"Oh my god," he heard her breathe as she reared her head back, her hair falling behind her in an undeniably alluring manner. "Luke…"

He untangled his hand from hers and ran his hands up and down her thighs. "You feel so good," he murmured, knowing exactly what she wanted to hear.

Lorelai paused her motions, keeping him deep inside of her as she leaned forward and pressed her hands on his shoulders. "So do you," she promised.

"Oh, Lorelai," he sighed, his hands moving to her hips. "Please…"

With a determined smile, Lorelai braced herself against his shoulders and moved her hips up, beginning a gentle rhythm of rocking against his hardness. Luke let her take the lead, voicing his pleasure through soft moans and grunts of approval as she moved. When Lorelai's face began to flush and her pace picked up, he could tell that she was ready for a change.

"Hey," he patted her thigh gently, and she paused, breathless and flushed above him. Wordlessly, Luke clutched at her hips and rolled her onto her side, knowing that she was ready to get just as good as she gave. He gently reached out to push her hair off her face, which was starting to glisten with sweat. Lorelai responded with an alluring smile, and she shifted until she was resting on her hands and knees. As she looked at him, she bit her lower lip in anticipation, a look that was so sexy it was all Luke could do not to come undone right then and there.

"Oh my god!" Lorelai let out a loud gasp as he positioned himself behind her and slid into her folds in one fluid motion.

Knowing they had to control their volume, Luke gently pressed on her shoulder and she lowered herself onto her elbows, burying her face in her hands to muffle her cries of pleasure. Luke slid in and out of her gently, creating a slow and steady pace that made tingles spread throughout Lorelai's entire body. She could feel one of Luke's hands leave her hip to gently run through her hair, and when he traced a single finger up and down her spine, she felt her body begin to lose control.

"Luke," she gasped quietly, rising her arms back into a locked position as she prepared for her peak. "Oh, god, Luke, please."

Luke could tell that she was ready, and he pulled out of her entirely. Lorelai groaned in frustration, but when he grabbed her hips and entered her with a single, hard thrust, she immediately melted around him.

"Oh my god," she gasped, trembling with pleasure. Her mind went blissfully blank as she forgot about everything besides the man behind her and the pleasure he was giving her.

After a long moment, Lorelai gripped the headboard and rose to her knees, throwing her head back onto Luke's shoulder. Her back was pressed against his chest, and she turned her head to whisper huskily into his ear. "Give me all you got," she begged. "I'm not going to break, Luke."

At her words and the undeniably sexy feeling of her body against his, Luke pulled his hips back and began stroking into her at a much faster pace. Lorelai kept time with his pace, moving her hips against his in perfect rhythm. She leaned forward and bit her lower lip, trying to keep back her scream. "Oh my god…oh my god…oh my god…" she punctuated each of his groans with an exclamation of her own.

"Lorelai," he moaned her name from behind her, and she turned to look at him over her shoulder. He continued to move inside of her, his thrusts becoming shorter and harder as he approached his own release.

"Yes, Luke," she urged. "Oh my god…yes…yes…"

Her pleas and moans were enough to send him over the edge, and Luke gripped her hips tightly as he held her against him, releasing into her with a satisfied moan. Lorelai leaned back against him, lacing her fingers through his hair with one hand.

"Oh, wow," Lorelai finally gasped when they were able to think and settled back into bed. Luke lay down on his back, panting up at the ceiling, as Lorelai curled into his side.

"I don't know why I'm still surprised that it's this good," Luke murmured into her damp hair.

Lorelai ran her hand gently over his chest. Her fingers played with the soft hair there, and she murmured, "Practice makes perfect, right?"

"We were pretty damn perfect from the beginning," Luke whispered, placing a kiss to her hair.

"Well, we have to practice a lot to remain perfect," Lorelai explained. She was quiet for a few moments and Luke ran his hand lazily up and down her spine as they both continued to recover from their high.

Luke let out a soft chuckle, and Lorelai angled her head to look up at him. "What?" she asked.

His fingers traced her stomach. "She's kicking me," he said, his voice full of wonder.

Lorelai smiled as she looked down at her stomach, which was currently pressed against his side. "Welcome to my world," she said.

"Is she okay?" he asked.

"She's fine," Lorelai promised, her hand joining his. "Happy Mommy means happy baby."

His eyes darkened when they met hers. "And you're happy?" he asked.

"Satisfied, happy, and thoroughly indulged," Lorelai confirmed. "You?"

Luke shook his head slightly. "Satisfied and thoroughly indulged," he repeated.

She giggled. "That's one craving you don't mind satisfying in the middle of the night, huh?" she asked.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "It's enough to make me want to keep you like this all the time," he said, brushing his fingers over her stomach.

"I'll tell you right now, that is _definitely_ not going to happen," Lorelai said firmly. "Maybe one more, but then I'm done."

"Fair enough," Luke sighed.

She was quiet for a moment before she asked, "Are you sure you're not upset you're not getting a boy?"

"Of course not," he said. "We've been over this and over this."

"I know," she said, thinking back to the first time she'd brought up the topic, when they'd confirmed the fact that they were having a girl two weeks ago. "I just want to make sure you're not disappointed. I mean, every guy dreams of having a son, right? To toss a ball around with and pick up chicks when he's legally old enough?"

"Okay, first of all, I know no men who try to pick up girls with their dads," Luke said. "And second of all, yes, I would have been thrilled to have a son. But I'm not any less thrilled to have another daughter. What matters is that she's healthy. She's _ours,_ Lorelai. She's perfect."

"She is," Lorelai agreed. She sighed happily and traced her fingers over his arm for a moment before she whispered, "Luke?"

"Hmmm?"

"I'm ready for my mashed potatoes now."

XXXXX

April glanced at Lorelai from across the kitchen table when she heard a loud bang from upstairs. "Are you sure I shouldn't go check to see if they're okay?" she asked.

Lorelai shook her head as she looked up from her payroll. "It's okay," she promised. "Your dad and Ed have it covered."

Another crash sounded, and April's eyes filled with uncertainty. "Should setting up furniture be this loud?" she asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" Lorelai shrugged. "They got the crib up there, and I was banished by your dad because it's not safe. Apparently there's a chance that a nail could suddenly fly up from the floor and pierce my eyeball or something. If you go up there, he's going to send you back down."

"Okay," April said uncertainly. She returned to her studying, and Lorelai examined her closely for a moment.

"So how are things going at school?" she asked hesitantly. It had been over a month since April's run in with Chilton's mean girls.

"Good," April replied. "I have an anthropology project due next week, and I've been studying the discovery of a perfectly preserved corpse in the Antarctic tundra. It's a fascinating story because…"

"Okay, I didn't mean lesson plans about dead bodies in the snow," Lorelai made a face. "Ugh, there goes my craving for a milkshake."

"Dad will be happy to hear that," April replied. "I presume you're referring to the social issues then?"

"Yes, the fun stuff," Lorelai confirmed. She looked at April closely, then commented, "You've been hanging out with that girl from the forensics club. Christine, right?"

"Yeah," April nodded. "She's nice. She's on scholarship, just like me. And she was raised by her mom, so we have a lot in common."

"I'm glad you've found a friend," Lorelai said. "How are those other girls? Leaving you alone?"

"Yeah," April shrugged. "I guess it was just misfortune that they were the first people I met."

"Misfortune it was," Lorelai agreed. She was quiet for a moment before she asked, "Did you happen to mention all of this to your mom?"

April nodded. "Yeah, she was sympathetic," she replied. "But she said a lot of the same things that you did. Join other clubs, that sort of thing."

"Good," Lorelai said. "You know, Rory was never a social butterfly either. She had a few close friends, and that was enough for her. She turned out okay, right?"

"She's the best sister I've ever had," April confirmed.

"Only for a few more months," Lorelai replied.

"I know, I was wrong," April recited. "Dad tells me at least once a day."

Lorelai giggled. "We just want you to make sure you know, we're always right," she stated.

"Uh huh," April replied. "So who's right when the two of _you_ are arguing?"

"Me," Lorelai nodded confidently. "Always me."

"Only because Dad always gives in," April replied.

"He does not!" Lorelai said. "Just last week, I wanted to drink a beer and smoke a cigar, he totally shut me down on that."

April smiled. "You know, life here is much more entertaining than it is in New Mexico," she stated.

"That's because you're living with the queen of one liners," Lorelai replied proudly. "I've been practicing since I was two."

"Not surprising," April replied.

Lorelai hard two sets of footsteps on the stairs and stood, offering Luke and his friend Ed a smile as they walked into the kitchen. "Did any of the furniture come out alive?" she asked.

"It's all set," Luke promised, offering her shoulder a squeeze as he walked past her. "Ed, you want a beer?"

"Sure," he nodded. "You look good, Lorelai."

"Thanks," she smiled, her eyes sparkling as she watched both men tip back their beers. "Nothing like building baby furniture and then chugging a beer to restore your manliness, huh?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Ignore her," he told his friend.

"Want to go watch the big game?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes, actually," Luke said, turning to the living room.

"Okay, well, make sure you hang onto your manliness enough to fire up the grill later," Lorelai requested. "I want a burger."

She was met with the volume of the television being turned up to full blast, a clear message from Luke. She shook her head and turned back to April. "That is so not necessary," she stated.

"Whatever, I have to study," April said, gathering her books. "I'm going to the library."

Lorelai nodded. "If you're not back by 9, we'll assume you've been consumed by books," she confirmed.

"Nine, got it," April nodded before she disappeared down the hall.

After she left and Luke had turned the television back down to a reasonable volume, Lorelai shifted her focus from work to Rory's birthday party. Her daughter was escaping for a weekend while the campaign tour was in Massachusetts. It was a happy coincidence that her birthday was taking place so close to home, and Lorelai was pulling out all the stops.

It still made her sad that she knew Rory was having a life of her own now. Although the election was less than two months away, Rory already had a job arranged at a magazine for Harvard in Boston. And although Lorelai had yet to meet him, she could tell from Rory's stories that Ethan was likely going to be a very permanent figure in her life.

Lorelai wanted this birthday to be perfect for Rory. A year from now, she would have an infant and Rory could be any number of places. So far, Lorelai's plans included a taco bar, Rory's favorite Stars Hollow townies, and a certain diner that would be converted into a party hall for the night. Lorelai looked over her plans for the party, satisfied that she had everything arranged perfectly. Rory would be thrilled to have a perfect Stars Hollow evening for her birthday, and Lorelai couldn't wait to see her daughter.

Feeling the baby shift, Lorelai smiled softly and ran a hand over her stomach. "You want some movement?" she asked. Whenever she was too still, the baby seemed to become restless inside of her, and Lorelai had learned that simply getting up to move around would calm her down. She hoped that would carry over once Victoria was born. "How about we go see your room?"

Lorelai climbed the stairs and gently pushed the door to the nursery open, smiling when she saw the crib Luke had built resting in the corner of the room. They'd settled on a soft blueish green for the walls, and once that had been done Luke had been eager to get the furniture settled. With Lorelai quickly approaching her third trimester and the busy holiday season coming up, he'd insisted that the nursery not get pushed until the last moment.

Now, Lorelai was glad she'd given into his enthusiasm. They'd bought a changing table that doubled as a dresser to match the crib he'd built, and it was now resting across from the window. The room was empty otherwise, but Lorelai opened the closet and pulled a bag out, resting it on the changing table as she peered in at its contents.

The first item she pulled out was the mattress pad she'd sewn. It was made of ocean fabric she'd found at the craft store, and colorful fish swam through the coral. As she leaned over the crib to pull the mattress up, she heard a familiar soft voice call her attention to the door. "Hey."

She smiled as she paused her motions, looking at Luke as he leaned against the door with his hands shoved in his pockets. "Hi," she said. "Game over already?"

"Nah, Ed had to go home so I figured I'd track you down, make sure you're not secretly smuggling coffee," Luke smirked.

She smiled as she gestured to the crib and changing table. "These look good, you did a great job."

Luke shrugged self consciously. "She needs a place to sleep," he replied.

"Yes, and she has the perfect place to do so," Lorelai confirmed. She allowed the mattress to lean against the wall as she ran her hands over the smooth, shiny wood of the crib railing. "Hand made with love by Daddy."

Smiling softly, Luke pushed himself off of the doorframe and joined her in front of the crib. "What are you doing in here?" he asked.

"I just wanted to see it set up," Lorelai replied. "And then I figured I might as well start getting it decorated a bit." She held up the mattress pad with a smile. "What do you think?"

Luke ran his fingers over the soft material. "Looks perfect," he confirmed.

"Thanks," Lorelai said. She reached for the mattress and began sliding the mattress pad over it. "I figured she could have a little bit of me in her crib too."

"She'll love it," Luke confirmed. He reached to hold the mattress steady for her, then slid it back into place when the linen was secured. "What else do you have?"

"Not much," Lorelai admitted. "And of course, you have veto power if you don't like any of these ideas. Hormonal Lorelai is nowhere to be seen, so you can be honest."

"Good to know," he said.

"Okay, so I bought these letters for her initials," Lorelai said, holding up pink plush letters. "Once we decide on a middle name, I'll go back and get that letter. I thought we could put them over the window."

"Nice," Luke admitted, running his fingers over the soft fabric.

Lorelai smiled as she pulled out some small picture frames. "I thought it would be cool to put these over her crib," Lorelai said, and Luke peered over her shoulder to see that each frame held a copy of their ultrasound picture from each doctor's visit. "This was the first one, and then this one is the one when we found out she's a girl," Lorelai said. "I have a couple extra frames, and once we get another picture we can add that one."

"That's a nice idea," Luke said. "The black and white will be good for her vision development."

"Look who's been studying," Lorelai nudged him with her elbow.

"I don't want to be one of those guys who's completely unaware," Luke replied. "I want to know things."

"I know you do, and it's sweet," Lorelai murmured. She looked back down at the ultrasounds and commented, "Maybe it will remind her of her home, of being inside of me. Maybe it will make the whole big world seem less scary."

Luke pressed a kiss to the back of her head. "I hope so," he agreed.

"Okay, now this is my favorite part," Lorelai said. "But again, you have to have input too. Tell me if you want to change it, add to it, take away from it."

Curious as to what she had planned, Luke nodded. "I will," he promised.

Lorelai pulled another set of picture frames out of the bag and gestured to the wall above the changing table. "This wall will be the Gilmore/Danes family wall," she said. "So Victoria will know us, know the moments that came before she was here."

"I like that," Luke murmured. Lorelai's sense of posterity combined with her creative mind was bringing their daughter's room to life. "What are the pictures you chose?"

"I wanted them to be different from the rest of the house," Lorelai replied. "First is us, obviously, because we created her."

Luke laughed as he saw her hold up a picture of the two of them, taken during her birthday party several months before. He ran a smiling finger over Lorelai's face and commented, "Just a couple more hours until she came into existence."

"Either that, or she was already swimming around," Lorelai replied. "You gave me some pretty hot pre-breakfast loving that morning."

Luke shook his head. "You're putting up a picture of us on the day we made her?" he asked.

"It's not like we'll tell her that," Lorelai said. "It'll be like our secret, but again, if you don't like it…"

"No, it's fine," Luke said. "It's a good picture of you."

"Well, that was my number on priority," Lorelai laughed. "Now we have her sisters."

Seeing Lorelai hold up a picture of April with her winning science fair project the spring before brought Luke's emotion to the forefront. "Lorelai…"

"She'll obviously know April, since she's living here now," Lorelai said. "But I thought this picture highlights April's passion, who she is."

"It's perfect," Luke nodded. "What about Rory?"

A brief flash of sadness crossed Lorelai's face, and she held up two pictures. The first was of Rory and Lorelai at her Yale graduation, both mother and daughter beaming for the camera. The second was one he'd never seen before. Lorelai was sitting in a hospital bed, her face rounder and her eyes shining with love and hope. An infant Rory was cradled in her arms, clad in a pink hat and wrapped in a pink blanket.

"I know this one doesn't exactly include you," Lorelai said gently. "It's okay if you don't want me to put it up. But I hate the fact that Victoria will only know Rory as the girl who stops in for holidays and occasional weekends. I just thought putting this picture up would remind Victoria that she has two sisters, and that Rory once depended on me the way she does now."

Understanding that Lorelai would never stop missing Rory's presence in her everyday life, Luke reached out to wrap an arm around her shoulder. "I think that's a great idea," he said. "She'll know Rory, Lorelai. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Lorelai nodded slowly. "I know," she said. "That's why I love you. I just…I love our life, but sometimes I wish we could have figured this out when Rory was around. It's sad that the five of us will never be a live in family together."

Trying to lighten the mood, Luke muttered, "Good thing, because four of you might drive me over the edge."

With a giggle, Lorelai rested her head on his shoulder. "That would be very bad," she said. They stood together, looking down at the pictures before Lorelai reached into the bag again. "A couple more."

Luke nodded approvingly at one of their wedding pictures, which included their girls and her parents. "That's a good one," he nodded. "The whole family."

Silently, Lorelai reached into the bag and handed the final picture to him. She studied his face carefully as he tensed slightly, drawing in a sharp breath. "I know you wish we all could have known them," Lorelai murmured. "You're probably missing them even more now, with the baby coming."

Luke nodded and swallowed hard as he looked down at the picture of himself as a ten year old, flanked by each of his parents. He was dressed in a baseball uniform and his father was beaming proudly at the camera. His mother had her arm wrapped tightly around his shoulders, and Luke could remember the picture being taken. It was only a few weeks later that he had survived the car accident that had killed his mother. "Thank you," he said softly.

"She needs to know them," Lorelai replied. "I know you'll talk to her about them, but she needs to see them. She's named after your mom, after all."

"She is," Luke agreed. He shifted his attention from the photo to her stomach, rubbing his palm over her stomach. "Hey, Victoria."

"Hang on," Lorelai said. She bit her lower lip as she stood still, trying to focus on any movements inside her stomach. After a moment she shook her head sympathetically. "I think she's sleeping."

"That's okay, she needs to do that," Luke replied.

"She does," Lorelai agreed. "She was moving around like crazy earlier. She doesn't like when I'm still."

"She goes to sleep when you move?" Luke asked.

"That's what the evidence has pointed to so far," Lorelai nodded. "Hopefully that will work when she's born."

"We'll figure it out," Luke promised.

"We will," Lorelai nodded. She gestured to the pictures that were now strewn across the changing table. "Any thoughts?"

"They're all perfect," Luke replied. "There are a couple I want to add."

"Yeah?" Lorelai asked.

"I want one of the girls together," Luke said. "Rory and April. And I think we should leave a spot for Victoria. To make her know she's part of the story too."

Hearing the thoughtfulness in his voice made Lorelai's heart swell. "That's a great idea," she nodded. "I love that."

Luke stepped closer to the changing table and reached into the bag for the final item Lorelai had stashed. "Really?" he asked, holding up the frame.

Lorelai gasped as she grabbed the picture out of his hands. "He's her brother!" she cried.

"He's a dog," Luke corrected.

Placing the portrait of Paul Anka with all the others, Lorelai shot him a glare. "He's _our_ dog, and you love him," she stated.

"Life would be a lot less interesting without constantly wondering where he hid my shoes," Luke admitted.

Lorelai giggled and turned to the pictures in front of them. "What a family," she sighed, looking at the eclectic mix of photographs that represented every aspect of their family.

Luke nodded as he looked on with her. "Our family," he added. "Not exactly conventional, are we?"

"Nope, but perfect nonetheless," Lorelai stated. "With a lot more perfection on the way."

With a shake of his head, Luke turned to look at Lorelai. "If she's got your pout, I'll never get my way again," he commented.

Lorelai giggled and rested her head against his shoulder. "Us Gilmore Danes girls will be completely unstoppable," she agreed.

"God help me."

"Don't worry, we'll go easy on you sometimes," Lorelai promised. "So April went to the library. And you know what that means, right?"

Luke's eyes were dark when she lifted to head to meet his gaze. "Oh, I know," he murmured, leaning into her.

"Ice cream and Casablanca!" Lorelai exclaimed happily, pressing a kiss to his lips before she headed towards the door. Luke frowned as he turned to the door, his hands resting on his hips. Lorelai had always gone one way when he thought she was headed another, but her pregnancy had only enhanced that particular character trait. Sometimes it worked to his advantage, and others, like now, he was left confused and abandoned in the wake of Hurricane Lorelai. As he moved to meet her in the living room, Luke knew that he wouldn't have his life any other way.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to everyone who is still reading! I'm really excited to hear reactions to this chapter, which centers a lot around Rory. I know a lot of people are team Dean/Jess/Logan, but I'm solidly Team New Person, hence Ethan. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

"Mom!"

Lorelai pushed herself off of the porch swing a week later when she saw Rory hurrying across the front yard towards her. "Daughter!" she replied, holding her arms out.

Rory laughed as she threw herself into Lorelai's arms. "It's so good to be home!" she cried.

"It's so good to have you home," Lorelai said excitedly. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," Rory sighed. She remained cuddled in Lorelai's arms for a moment before she stepped back. "Wow, you're fat."

Lorelai gasped and folded her hands over her stomach. "Never, ever call a woman fat," she said. "Even if she could float down Fifth Avenue in the Thanksgiving Day parade."

"How are you?" Rory asked. "How's my sister?"

"She's good," Lorelai replied. "Oh, here!" She grabbed Rory's hand and pressed it against the right side of her stomach. Rory looked at her suspiciously, then jumped away with a shriek.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Victoria, no middle name, Danes," Lorelai stated proudly.

Rory squirmed on her feet. "That was so weird," she said.

"Don't worry, she'll like you when you're born," Lorelai addressed her stomach.

"I like her now," Rory said. "It's just…there's something _moving_ inside of you."

"Not something, your sister," Lorelai replied. "You know, you once resided exactly where she is now."

Rory made a face. "Gross," she said.

"Alright, birthday girl, I'll stop grossing you out," Lorelai appeased. She glanced to the car in the driveway, more specifically at the tall man standing beside it. His brown hair had a slight wave to it, and a day or two worth of scruff was present on his face. He wore black pants and a denim jacket, and was busying himself by organizing the bags he'd pulled out of the car. "Your hitchhiking buddy?" Lorelai asked.

"No," Rory blushed.

Lorelai smiled as she squeezed Rory's elbow and leaned closer. "He's cute!"

Rory smirked and led Lorelai down the porch steps. "Ethan, this is my mom," she said proudly.

"Hi, I'm Lorelai," she said, holding her hand out to shake him.

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Danes," he said formally.

"It's Lorelai," she said firmly. "And it's nice to meet you too. I've heard a lot about you."

"And I you," Ethan nodded, looking towards Rory. "Rory's set a pretty vivid picture."

"I hope I can live up to the hype," Lorelai said. "Why don't you guys come inside? Stay awhile, take a load off."

She started to reach for Rory's laptop bag, but her daughter cut her off. "No heavy lifting for you," she said firmly.

"I can carry a bag," Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Sheesh, between you and your stepfather, I'm not allowed to do anything these days."

"Where are Luke and April?" Rory asked as she and Ethan followed Lorelai into the quiet house.

"I suddenly just had to have fudge from that store in downtown Mystic," Lorelai said with a proud nod. Looking at Ethan, she said, "I bought you some time with just me."

"April went along for the ride?" Rory asked.

"She's part of my plan," Lorelai confirmed. "She's going to talk his ear off about how perfect her science fair project is so he'll be all proud daddy, not protective daddy, when he gets back."

"Wow, you've thought this through," Rory observed with an impressed nod.

Lorelai tapped the side of her head. "Beauty and brains," she confirmed. "I'll get some snacks together and you guys can go put your stuff down upstairs."

"Thank you," Ethan nodded politely as he turned to the stairs.

"Polite and cute," Lorelai muttered in Rory's ear. "Two for two."

Rory smiled and then followed Ethan up the stairs. She retreated to the kitchen and opened the pantry door, frowning for a moment before she reached for a box of Pop Tarts. She was ripping open the fourth package when Ethan tentatively entered the room.

"Rory's just changing her clothes," he informed her.

"She can't wear the same outfit for more than six hours," Lorelai sighed with a shake of her head. She reached for a glass and asked, "Can I get you some cider? Freshly pressed."

"Sure, that sounds great," Ethan nodded.

Lorelai poured three glasses, glancing at him as she did so. "So, Rory says you went to Harvard?" she asked.

"Yes," Ethan replied. "I graduated this past December, and joined the campaign trail at a pretty interesting point."

"Rory's loved it," Lorelai confirmed. "It looks like things might work out well for your team in November."

"Hopefully," Ethan agreed. He looked around the kitchen before he commented, "This is a beautiful house."

Lorelai smiled thankfully. "Thanks," she said. "I'd show you the library, but I'm pretty sure Rory would never speak to me again."

"I can wait," Ethan said. He took a sip of his cider, then said, "She's incredible."

Feeling a sense of motherly pride wash over her, Lorelai raised her own glass of cider towards him in agreement. "I agree."

"She talks about you all the time," Ethan continued.

"Well, she didn't exactly have the most traditional of upbringings," Lorelai admitted. "It was just her and me for a long time."

Ethan nodded. "I know, she told me," he admitted. "It was just me and my dad when I was growing up, so I get it, that special bond the two of you have."

Fighting her curiosity, Lorelai smiled warmly. "I'm sure your dad is proud of you," she said.

"He is," Ethan nodded. "Lorelai, I want you to know that I'd never do anything to get in the way of your relationship with Rory. You're the most important person in the world to her, and I respect that."

Feeling the same way she had during Logan's visit to her, Lorelai nodded slowly. "Thank you," she said. Ethan didn't say anything else, and Lorelai felt relieved that he didn't have anything to ask her about his intentions towards Rory.

"Treat her well," she said quietly, but her tone was strong.

Ethan met her gaze evenly. "I will," he promised.

Lorelai stared at him for a long moment, then nodded. "Good," she said. She turned back to the Pop Tart platter and held one out. "Pop Tart?"

"Don't mind if I do," Ethan said, selecting a pastry.

"Cinnamon, good choice," Lorelai replied.

Rory breezed into the kitchen at that point, and Lorelai couldn't help but notice the way Ethan's eyes were immediately drawn to her daughter. It was very similar to the way Luke seemed to zero in on her, no matter how busy the diner was or how many plates he was trying to balance.

"Oh, Pop Tarts!" Rory cried, grabbing a chocolate one from the plate. "These haven't made it onto Luke's list of banned food yet?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "If Luke had his way, I'd be eating nothing but carrot sticks and grilled chicken," she said. "He took away my coffee, I'm not about to let him take away my Pop Tarts too."

"Remain strong," Rory advised with a nod. "Hey, is that a new picture?"

Lorelai followed Rory's gaze to the fridge, where an ultrasound was attached via magnet. "Nope, about three weeks old now," Lorelai said. "Same one I e-mailed you."

"She's big!" Rory exclaimed. She held it out to Ethan, who cleared his throat and nodded politely. Lorelai saw his gaze flash briefly to her stomach, then look away with a blush. Again, she was reminded of a time long ago when her own husband had been embarrassed by all things baby related.

"You're telling me," Lorelai groaned. "She keeps kicking me!"

"I think she's supposed to do that."

Lorelai sighed. "She's giving you a run for your money," she said. "So I have tomorrow all booked, but tonight is totally up to you. Should we teepee Taylor's house? Release pigs numbered 1 and 3 in town square and watch Kirk search for pig number 2? Town meeting? Totally your call."

Rory glanced at Ethan, who shrugged. "You're the one who's from here," he reminded her.

"I know," Rory said. She looked at Lorelai and asked, "Do you think Luke will cook us dinner at the diner?"

"Can you still do the Rory face?" Lorelai asked. Rory responded by dropping her head and looking up at Lorelai with wide, innocent eyes. "He'll melt like ice cream in the desert," Lorelai confirmed.

"Oh, good!" Rory cried. "We'll have dinner at Luke's, and then take a walk through town square. It'll be a perfect, Stars Hollow evening."

Lorelai smiled at her daughter's excitement. Eating at Luke's and walking home had once been a completely routine evening for them. Things were different now, and events that had once seemed so normal brought excitement to both of them. "It will be," she agreed.

The front door opened and April's voice called out a greeting. "Kitchen!" Lorelai replied. She offered Ethan an encouraging nod and advised, "don't take it personally, he doesn't think anyone is good enough for her."

Rory frowned. "Mom…" she said quietly.

"Don't worry, he'll be nice if he doesn't want to encounter hormonal Lorelai," she confirmed. "I talked to him this morning."

Rory looked at her uncertainly, but her eyes lit up when Luke and April appeared in the doorway. "Luke!" she cried, rushing to give him a hug.

"Welcome back, kid," he murmured. "We've missed you."

"I've missed you too," she said, turning to April. "Hi, April! I can't wait to hear all about Chilton!"

"Oh, I'm sure it's the same," April said, peering curiously behind Rory to where Ethan had stood. Her gaze then shifted to her father's, and finally rested on Rory with a sympathetic look.

Luke, for his matter, was feeling all of the women in his life anticipate his next move. He could see Rory's nervous smile, Lorelai's warning gaze, and April's anticipatory smirk as he made eye contact with the man before him. Wanting to prove to all of them that he could have an open mind, he stepped past Rory and held out his hand to Ethan.

"You must be Ethan," he said. "I'm Luke. We're glad you could make it, Rory's told us a lot about you."

Ethan reached out to shake his hand with a firm grip. "Nice to meet you," he said. "You've got a beautiful home."

Luke glanced at Lorelai, whose jaw was hanging open with disbelief. "That's all Lorelai's doing," he said to Ethan. "But thanks." He shoved his hands in his pockets and asked, "So how was the drive?"

"Not bad," Ethan confirmed. "A little traffic near Hartford, but we made it through pretty quickly."

"Good," Luke nodded.

"So Rory tells me that your dad owned a hardware store?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah," Luke confirmed with a nod. "I practically grew up there."

"My dad runs a carpentry business," Ethan reported. "I'm pretty sure he had me helping in the shop before my first day of kindergarten."

"Huh," Luke crossed his arms over his chest as he surveyed Ethan closely. "I just built a crib for the baby."

Ethan raised his eyebrows. "Wow, that's a big undertaking," he said.

"It took awhile," Luke admitted. He pointed towards the hallway and asked, "You want to see it?"

"Sure," Ethan said, gesturing towards the door. "Lead the way."

Luke passed a stunned Rory and a pleased April before he flashed Lorelai a knowing look. He'd come a long way since their weekend in Martha's Vineyard with Rory and Logan all those years ago.

"What the hell was that?" Rory asked as the men's footsteps could be heard on the stairs.

Lorelai blinked herself back to reality before she turned to Rory with a smile. "I think he passed the test," she said.

"Wow," Rory murmured. "We didn't even need the Bop It!"

XXXXX

"Want some company?"

Luke looked up from his spot on the diner steps to see Rory standing beside him, a tiara sitting on her head and a purple feather boa wrapped around her shoulders. Her birthday party was in full swing in the diner behind them, and Luke had escaped a few minutes earlier for a breath of fresh air.

"From you, anytime," he said.

She smiled as she sat down beside him and handed him a beer. He took it and shook his head slightly.

"You know, I still can't believe I can legally share one of these with you," he commented.

Rory smiled as she sipped her own beer. "You were one of the few people I knew at my twenty-first birthday party," she said. "You even tasted a Rory."

Luke winced at the memory. "No offense, but that was not the best party I've ever been to," he admitted.

"I know," Rory sighed. She was quiet before she said, "I guess we all have regrets."

A memory of Lorelai walking away from him right in this very spot flashed through Luke's mind and he nodded. "Yeah, but it makes us stronger," he said.

Rory nodded. She picked at the label on her beer bottle for a moment before she said, "Thank you. For being so nice to Ethan."

Luke inhaled sharply. "He's a good guy," he admitted.

"Yeah, he is."

"I don't think I'll ever _like_ the idea, though."

Rory giggled. "I know, you almost killed Logan at my grandparents' wedding," she said.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Not a memory I'm fond of," he stated.

"Mom said it was because you still pictured me as a little kid," Rory said softly.

"Maybe she's right," Luke sighed. "You have your dad, Rory, but…well…you know."

Familiar with Luke's discomfort with expressing his emotions, Rory nodded. "I know," she said. "And I don't have my dad. Not really."

Luke tensed and shook his head. "Rory…"

"I know how you feel about him, but you need to hear this," Rory said. "It was more important to me how _you_ feel about Ethan. Obviously I care about what Mom thinks, but she's…Mom. She'd have an open mind. I don't care what Dad thinks about him. But if you hadn't liked Ethan, it would have really upset me."

"I just want to know he's treating you well," Luke said, looking at her closely. "Is he?"

Rory nodded. "He is," she confirmed.

"Good."

Rory took another sip of her beer before she asked, "So what brings you out here? Party too much for you?"

Luke waved a hand through the air. "You know your mom and her parties," he said.

"Yes, I do," Rory said. "And I also know that no matter how much you claim to hate them, you always end up participating in the fun."

A smile spread across his face. "Guilty," he admitted.

"She seems good," Rory said. She turned to look at him and asked, "She's good?"

"She's good," Luke confirmed. "A little crankier than usual, but…good."

"And Victoria?" Rory asked.

"She's good too," Luke nodded.

"Good," Rory replied. She was quiet for a moment before she requested quietly, "Make sure they stay that way?"

Luke nodded. "I will."

"Thank you."

"You got it." He took a sip of his beer before he asked, "Do you remember the first time you came into the diner?"

"Yeah," Rory nodded. "You took us ice skating."

Luke scoffed. "I believe the proper term for that would be neither of you would stop pouting until I gave in," he corrected. "But not that time. The first time _you_ came into the diner."

Rory smiled. "Yeah," she said. "They let us out of school early and I wanted pie."

Luke nodded as the memory washed over him. It hadn't been long since he'd opened the diner, and he'd been used to the lulls between rushes before he'd built up a steady customer base.

 _The bell dinged from the dining room and Luke set down the grill scraper, drying his hands on a dish towel as he walked out of the kitchen. A young girl with brown hair braided into pigtails was standing in the middle of the empty room. She clutched a book against her chest and when her eyes met his he felt immediate curiosity._

" _Can I help you?" he asked gruffly, not wanting to take the time to deal with a lost kid when he had a million things to do._

" _Do you have pie?" her voice was so soft he barely heard her._

 _He nodded towards the glass container resting on the counter. "Apple or blueberry?"_

" _Apple, please," she said._

 _Luke reached for a plate and gestured towards a stool. "Have a seat."_

 _The girl cautiously slid onto the stool, resting her book on the counter and watching him carefully. He cut her an extra large slice, then dropped the plate in front of her. "Kids your age shouldn't eat so much sugar," he stated._

 _Her eyes sparkled happily as she looked down at the pie. "Mommy says sugar is what keeps us happy," she stated._

 _Luke glanced out the window into the town square. "Where are your parents?" he asked, pretending not to care as he moved to the cashier._

" _Mom's at work," Rory replied. "She just got promoted to be the manager at the Independence Inn!"_

 _Her voice was full of pride, and Luke glanced over at her curiously. "Independence Inn, huh?" he asked. "You know Mia?"_

" _Oh, yeah, she's the best!" The girl was becoming more animated as she talked. "Mom and I lived at the inn for a long time, as long as I can remember. Mia took good care of us. We just moved into a house though."_

" _Huh." Luke could remember, years ago, hearing that a girl and her baby had found refuge with Mia at the inn. He wondered if this was the baby all grown up. "What about your dad?"_

 _When he didn't hear a response, he looked up to see her staring down at her pie. "He's not here," she whispered. "I don't really know where he is."_

 _Unsure of how to deal with the sad child in front of him, Luke finally shoved the drawer closed and nodded to the book sitting in front of her. "What are you reading?"_

 _Her eyes lit up again. "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," she replied. "Have you read it?"_

 _Not wanting to admit the truth, Luke shrugged. "Probably, a long time ago," he said._

" _You can borrow mine when I'm done!" she exclaimed. "I love sharing books with people."_

 _Luke could feel his usual grumpy mood beginning to fade as he looked at this girl. "Sure," he said. "Thanks."_

" _What's your name?" she asked curiously._

" _Luke."_

" _Like on the sign!" she exclaimed. "Are you the owner?"_

" _Sure am."_

" _Wow, I've never met a real business owner before," she said. "My mom will be someday, though. She's going to own her own inn."_

 _Luke scrutinized her closely, unable to deny his curiosity about her story. "I hope it works out for her," he said._

" _It will, my mom can do anything," she said confidently. She shoved the last bite of pie in her mouth, then looked around hesitantly. "Is it okay if I read here?" she asked._

 _Although he hadn't opened the diner with the intention of letting kids do their homework at the counter, Luke couldn't deny her wide, pleading eyes. "Sure," he said._

" _Thanks," she said. "I like our new house, but it's big. I don't like being there without Mom. It's nice here though."_

 _He nodded. "Read away," he said._

" _Oh, wait," she said, hoisting her backpack onto the stool beside her. "I have to pay you."_

" _First time customers on the house," he said, waving her off._

 _She narrowed her eyes at him. "That's a really bad business plan," she informed him._

 _Taken aback by her matter of fact statement, Luke swept her plate off the counter. "Then you can grow up and go to business school and come up with a better one," he replied._

" _I'm going to Harvard," she announced proudly. "I'm going to be a journalist, not a businesswoman."_

" _I guess all that reading will pay off then."_

 _She giggled. "That's the plan," she said. She opened her book and started concentrated on it._

 _Luke couldn't figure out why he was so intrigued by the girl before him, but he leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her. "So I told you my name," he commented. "It's only fair that you tell me yours."_

 _She looked at him and said proudly. "Lorelai Leigh Gilmore."_

" _Lorelai Gilmore," he repeated. The name was unique and distinctive._

" _Yeah, but you can call me Rory," she said._

Back in the present, Rory nudged Luke's shoulder with her own. "You gave me an extra slice of pie," she reminded him.

He sighed. "I was powerless from the start," he admitted. "Did you ever tell your mom she wasn't really the first one to come into the diner?"

"No," Rory shrugged. "She was so excited when she found out about your coffee and dragged me there, I didn't want to disappoint her by telling her I was already your favorite customer."

Luke smiled softly. "We'll let her keep believing that," he said.

"Sounds good," Rory said. She looked up at the night sky for a moment. "Victoria's really lucky. She's got two fantastic parents."

"Yeah, well…" Luke shrugged self consciously.

Rory giggled. "It's nice to know some things never change," she commented. "Luke Danes, man of very few words."

XXXXX

When Rory walked into the kitchen the following morning, she saw April sitting at the island, a mug of tea and a textbook sitting on the counter in front of her.

"Morning," Rory said as she reached to turn the coffee maker on.

"Hey, Rory," April said. "Where's Ethan?"

"Shower," Rory replied. "How about the parental units?"

"Dad's at work and Lorelai's still sleeping," April reported.

Rory nodded. "Has she really been cranky?" she asked.

April shrugged. "Dad bears most of the burden, but I was on the wrong side of her temper when I said that the Go Gos were better than the Bangles," she said.

Rory winced. "Yeah, that reaction probably would have been the same even if she wasn't pregnant," she commented.

"I guess," April shrugged.

"How's Chilton?" Rory asked, sitting down beside April at the table.

"It's good," April replied. "I really like the classes. It was hard at first, with some of the girls, but I found some nice people to hang out with."

"Good," Rory replied.

"Ethan's really nice," April commented.

"I'm fond of him," Rory agreed.

"I overheard Dad telling Lorelai, and I quote, 'he's better than those other idiots,'" April said with a smile.

"I think that's the closest I'll get to a stamp of approval," Rory conceded. "We were thinking of heading to Luke's for breakfast. Want to join us?"

"I would, but I have a huge test tomorrow," April sighed. "I really need to get to the library."

"Understood," Rory confirmed. She stood and reached for the coffee pot, pouring herself a mug before she turned to April. "I wish I was around more," she admitted.

April smiled sympathetically. "Lorelai misses you a lot," she said. "She talks about you all the time."

"You probably understand how I'm feeling better than anyone else," Rory said quietly. "Is it weird for you too, to see them so enamored with the baby?"

Setting her pencil down, April nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Sometimes it feels like…I don't know."

Rory frowned as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the counter. "Tell me," she insisted.

April sighed and fidgeted with the end of sleeve. "I don't know exactly how to say it," she said. "They're just so happy that she's _theirs._ They don't have to share her with anyone else, and it makes me feel kind of guilty. Even though I'm living here now, I still love my mom and want to see her."

"I can imagine that's hard," Rory said. "As difficult as it was to not be able to rely on my dad, at least I never had to choose between him and Mom."

"Will it be weird?" April asked, looking at Rory carefully. "Me living here, when Victoria gets here?"

"Of course not," Rory replied. "They'll be busy, and knowing those two, there will probably be a power struggle or two. But they love you, April, you know that."

"Yeah," April sighed. "But sometimes I'm still the girl who dropped into their lives who could life right out again."

"Not true," Rory shook her head. She looked at her stepsister for a moment before she remarked, "You know that Luke was around for me and Mom for a long time. But he was always…the guy who poured the coffee. Eventually he became more, but it wasn't until he met you that he became fatherly."

"You don't have to say that," April shook her head. "I've heard the stories, about him and Dean and Logan. He's always looked out for you."

"Yeah, he has, and I always knew I could count on him," Rory replied with a nod. "When Mom and I were fighting, he was the one connection I had to her. I visited the diner and called him, because I couldn't call Mom. But…I don't know, something changed after he found out about you. He was gentler, more natural and confident when we talked. I was a grown up, but it was like he knew exactly what he needed to do or say, and he didn't second guess that anymore. You taught him how to be the father he is, to both of us. And the father he'll be to Victoria."

April blushed and ducked her head. "Thanks," she said.

"I think it's okay to be a little jealous of her," Rory admitted. "We're lucky enough to have one parent or the other, but she gets both of them, together, from the beginning."

"It's nice to know I'm not alone in my mixed feelings," April commented.

"Definitely not," Rory confirmed. "You and me, we understand each other."

"We do," April nodded.

"Hey," Ethan's voice came as he entered the kitchen. He offered Rory's shoulder a gentle squeeze as he nodded to April. "Morning, April."

"Morning," she replied.

"You're sure you don't want to join us for breakfast?" Rory asked.

"No, that's okay," April said. "I've got to get to the library."

"Okay," Rory nodded before she turned to Ethan. "You're about to experience a sacred Gilmore tradition. Are you ready…for breakfast at Luke's Diner?"

Ethan smirked and leaned towards her. "As ready as I'll ever be," he confirmed.

XXXXX

"Do you need help?"

Luke looked up from the grill on the back porch at the question. He nodded to Ethan and shrugged. "Sure," he said, pointing his spatula towards the cooler resting on the table. "Grab a beer."

"Thanks," Ethan said, reaching for a bottle. He popped it open and then took a sip.

"I'm not used to anyone _offering_ to help around here," Luke commented.

"Rory told me that neither she or Lorelai are interested in cooking," Ethan nodded.

"Understatement of the century," Luke muttered.

Ethan laughed. "From what I've heard, they've never _had_ to cook," he pointed out.

Luke shrugged. "It's what I do for a living," he said.

"According to Rory, you've gone above and beyond your responsibility as the local diner owner more than occasionally," Ethan commented.

"They don't make it easy to say no," Luke said.

"I'm quickly learning why Rory is the way she is," Ethan confirmed.

Luke glanced at the younger man from the corner of his eye. "None of them thought I'd be nice to you," he said. "Apparently I've set a pattern in the past."

"I heard," Ethan nodded. "I was actually a little nervous."

Luke shrugged. "They mean a lot to me," he said. "Both of them."

"I know."

"You make Rory happy."

"I hope so."

Luke sighed. "She never had anyone besides Lorelai to look out for her," he said. "I did the best I could."

"I know," Ethan said. "She told me about her dad."

Tensing, Luke took a long sip of his beer. "What did she tell you?" he asked.

"That he was never around until she was in high school," Ethan replied. "And even then, it was sporadic."

"Putting it nicely," Luke muttered.

"She also said that she wasn't worried about introducing me to him," Ethan continued. "That she didn't care if he liked me or not. She cared about what you and Lorelai thought, though. A lot."

Luke gestured to the house. "You've got Lorelai's approval," he said. "Which is no easy feat, when it comes to Rory."

"I figured," Ethan said. "And what about you?"

With a sigh, Luke crossed his arms over his chest. "Jury's still out," he said honestly. Seeing Ethan's eyes widen slightly, Luke let down his guard a little. "But the scales are tipping in your direction."

"Good."

Luke turned back to the grill and flipped the burgers, shaking his head slightly. "All they had to do was pout and they had me grilling in October," he sighed. "This may be a glance into your future."

"I wouldn't complain," Ethan said. "Rory loves being here."

"She's always been the apple in this town's eye," Luke confirmed.

"No, she loves being _here,"_ Ethan said. "With your family. She's happier than I've ever seen her."

A small smile tugged at Luke's lips. "I'm glad she feels at home here," he said. "I still worry she misses her house sometimes."

"She drove me there the other day," Ethan admitted. "It was nice to see where she became her."

"I'm sure," Luke nodded. He hadn't been back to the house in awhile, and he made a mental note to stop in and see that their renters were holding up their lease agreements.

The two men were quiet for a few minutes before Ethan asked, "Do you think she would have been different?"

"Who?" Luke asked.

"Rory," Ethan said. "She and Lorelai are so close, and Rory is obviously a product of who Lorelai raised her to be. Do you think Rory would have been different if her dad had been around?"

Luke gripped his beer tighter. He knew that Ethan probably didn't know all the history with Christopher, but he couldn't help but fight irritation whenever the subject came up. "Probably," he said simply.

"She probably wouldn't be _her,_ though," Ethan speculated.

"Probably not."

Ethan tapped the side of the porch railing for a moment. "I get it," he said gently. "How she feels. It's the first thing we talked about, being raised by a single parent."

Luke's eyebrows raised with curiosity. "Really?" he asked.

"Yeah, my parents had me when they were young," Ethan said. "Not as young as Lorelai, but young enough that they had to put things like college and traveling aside. My mom died when I was five, then it was just me and my dad."

"I'm sorry," Luke said, knowing from experience that the words meant nothing.

"It was a long time ago."

"Doesn't make it any better," Luke cleared his throat. "I was ten. When my mom died."

"Sucks, doesn't it?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah, it does," Luke said. "So it was just you and your dad?"

Ethan nodded. "He still has his carpentry shop in Boston," he said. "But he worked hard, wanted me to be have more than he did. Now, here I am, Harvard graduate writing about a presidential front runner and in love with a pretty amazing girl."

Luke turned back to the grill and began stacking the cooked burgers onto a platter. "It sounds like you and Rory have a lot in common," he said. "You understand her."

"And she understands me."

Straightening to his full height, Luke stared Ethan in the eye. "She's not just my stepdaughter," he said. "She means just as much to me as my other two."

"I know."

"If you hurt her, I'll kill you."

"I won't hurt her," Ethan promised. "I'd do anything to make her happy."

Luke eyed him for a second before he nodded. "Okay, then," he said simply, and turned to place a new row of burgers on the grill. This guy was different, he was starting to realize. He was good for Rory, and he would fit nicely into their family. Luke shook his head at the realization that it would actually nice to not be the only man around the house sometimes.

"So how about those Red Sox?" he asked as a peace offering.

XXXXX

"Do you think Luke's threatening him?" Rory asked as she peered out the window next to the kitchen table.

"No, hon," Lorelai said from the counter. "He likes him."

Rory sighed and pushed the curtain further to the side. "He looks grumpy."

"That's because he's Luke. His face is permanently frozen into a scowl."

"Not true and you know it," Rory bit her lip nervously. "Maybe I should go out there."

"You will not!" Lorelai gasped. "Can you please stop thinking about your man for like two seconds and think about your mother?"

"Fine," Rory crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from the window. "If Luke kills him, I'm testifying for the prosecution."

"I'll be sure to tell him," Lorelai said. She bit off the end of a piece of bread and noted, "I really like him, Rory."

Rory ducked her head and blushed slightly. "I'm so glad."

"He's perfect for you," Lorelai said.

"I love him," Rory said. "I loved Logan, and I thought I loved Dean, but this…it's different."

"I know," Lorelai said. "I've never seen you like this."

"I've never felt like this," Rory admitted. "It's only been a few months, though."

"Nothing has to be permanent," Lorelai said. "But I'm glad you're happy in the moment."

"I really am," Rory said. "We're…thinking about living together, in Boston, after the election."

"I think that's great," Lorelai said earnestly.

"Really?" Rory asked.

Lorelai laughed. "What, are you afraid that my old fashioned brain wouldn't approve?" she asked.

"No, I just…you never lived with anyone."

"I lived with Luke before we were married!" Lorelai defended.

"Yeah, but you didn't live with him until after everything, until you were sure you were both all in, as you say," Rory pointed out.

Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest. "Whatever, Miss Technicality," she sighed.

Both girls' attention were drawn to the window when a set of laughs could be heard through the glass. As Lorelai and Rory peered through the window, they saw Ethan and Luke talking easily as they both leaned against the porch rail and clutched a beer.

"Oh my God," Lorelai gripped Rory's arm. "I figured it out!"

"Figured what out?" Rory asked, turning to her with a frown.

"You've got the stepdaddy complex!" Lorelai accused, pointing a finger in Rory's face.

"What are you talking about?" Rory asked, trying to squirm away from her mother.

"Ethan," Lorelai waved towards the porch. "He's Luke."

Rory huffed. "He is not!" she exclaimed.

"Uh huh," Lorelai said. "Raised by a single dad after their mom died. Carpentry business, hardware store. Red Sox rule the world. Real men don't shave…."

"Okay, I get it!" Rory said.

"You didn't get me list my favorite commonality," Lorelai complained.

"Fine," Rory relented with a sigh.

Lorelai smiled sincerely. "They'd both do anything for the girl they love," she said gently.

Rory relaxed and leaned over to peer out the window again. "You think they're that much alike?" she asked.

"Throw Ethan in a flannel and backwards baseball cap, and we'd struggle to tell them apart," Lorelai confirmed. She wrapped her arm around Rory's shoulders and commented, "You could do a lot worse, if you ask me."

"I could," Rory agreed, resting her head against her mother's shoulder for a long moment. "You really like him?"

"I really do."

"You think Luke really likes him?"

Lorelai watched Luke clap Ethan on the shoulder as the two men continued to talk. She'd seen Luke happy, the past year and a half had shown her a completely different side of his personality. But she'd never seen him like this, joking around and talking sports with another man. The fact that it was a man who would likely be a part of their family made Lorelai smile.

"He really does."

"Good," Rory said with a nod.

Lorelai pressed a kiss to Rory's forehead and smoothed back her hair before she said, "We do have more important things to discuss though."

"Like what?" Rory asked.

"Like how you're going to be living two hours away," Lorelai said. "I, for one, propose a reinstatement of Friday Night Dinners. Except we don't have to include my parents."

"I am _not_ driving in Boston traffic on Friday afternoons just for dinner," Rory stated firmly.

"Wow, after taking care of you for twenty four years you'd think there would be at least a little bit of consideration," Lorelai said.

"How about every other Friday?" Rory asked.

"I can live with that."

"Good," Rory said. "I'll be home a lot. I have to make sure you're raising my sister right."

Lorelai gasped. "I should tell Luke we'll be graded."

"April and I are finalizing the evaluation process," Rory confirmed.

Lorelai laughed and rubbed her arm over Rory's back. "I miss you, kid."

Rory snuggled further into her mother's embrace. "I miss you too," she admitted. "It's good to be home."

XXXXX

"Okay, so let's discuss our plan," Lorelai suggested from the passenger seat of the car a week later.

"Plan?" Luke asked wearily.

"Yes, our plan to get out of this stupid dinner as soon as possible," Lorelai replied. "Plan A involves me suddenly being mysteriously sick by the roasted penguin or whatever the hell they'll be serving for dinner."

"No."

"Okay, Plan B," Lorelai replied. "We tell them we're in the middle of a really huge fight, and we disappear in the coat room to 'argue.' In reality, you'll be doing dirty, dirty things to me."

"Try again."

"Wow, good thing I'm prepared," Lorelai commented. "I call Plan C 'Pre-term labor…'"

"Stop," Luke snapped. "You are _not_ using our daughter to get out of this dinner."

"She's making me fat, why can't I get something out of it?" Lorelai complained.

"Because pre-term labor isn't a joke," Luke replied tensely. "It's an actual, real concern that I can't get out of my head."

Lorelai turned her head to look at him. "Everything's okay, Luke," she reminded him. "We're both okay."

"I know, but…there are a lot of horror stories out there," Luke said softly. "Incubators and NICU and women dying during childbirth. It still happens, you know, and it terrifies me."

"Okay, I'm sorry," she said gently. "We're going to be okay."

Luke sighed as he pulled into a parking spot at the country club. "You can't promise that," he said flatly.

Lorelai was struck by the fear in his eyes. She'd seen Luke express many emotions, she was fairly sure she was the only one in the world who'd seen him really cry, but she wasn't sure she'd ever seen him afraid.

"You're right," Lorelai murmured, taking his hand and squeezing it gently. "But we've got great doctors, and this has been a pretty easy pregnancy. It's had its moments, sure, but she and I have held our own. It's going to be okay."

Luke inhaled sharply and stared out the windshield. "Just…no more jokes about it?" he requested.

Lorelai leaned across the seats and kissed his cheek. "No more," she promised. "I shouldn't have done it to begin with, I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "No big deal," he said.

Wanting to see him smile, Lorelai tugged on his hand and placed his fingertips over her stomach. "She's awake now," she commented.

Luke smiled and rubbed a thumb over her stomach. "Hi, Victoria," he murmured. "Don't worry, I'll make sure your mother doesn't eat anything too disgusting tonight."

"I make no guarantees," Lorelai countered. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he sighed, raising his gaze to meet hers. "Still not my favorite thing to do though."

"Try spending forty years doing it," Lorelai scoffed as she reached for her door.

"What's this event for again?" Luke asked as he met her at the hood of the car.

Lorelai contemplated for a moment. "I believe it's for one of my father's clients _finally_ getting around to nailing that hole in one," she commented, then giggled. " _Dirty!"_

Luke rolled his eyes. "You teach that to our kid and I'm never making you coffee again."

"Ruin all my fun," Lorelai said. She gripped his arm and looked at him seriously. "We need a code word."

"Lorelai…"

"No, I'm serious," Lorelai said. "I'm feeling okay now, but we need a code word so I don't walk up to you and say, 'Luke we have to go before I puke all over the dessert table.' Although the look on my mother's face might be interesting…hmmm…"

"How about, 'Hey, Luke, I'm tired,'" Luke suggested.

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'the raven caws at midnight,' but that will do," Lorelai confirmed. "Let's get this over with."

Luke followed her into the country club, and once they'd stashed their coats and arrived in the dining room, Lorelai surveyed the room carefully. "Okay, maybe this won't be so bad," she said. "Some people actually look like they're our age."

"Where the hell is the bar?" Luke muttered.

Lorelai frowned. "This is so not fair," she said.

He smirked down at her. "And for once I don't have to worry that you'll drink too much to drive," he said. "This might actually be tolerable."

"Be careful, Cool Hand," Lorelai cautioned. "If you get drunk and embarrass my mother, she'll divorce you _for_ me."

"I'm not going to drink too much," he promised, running a hand over her back.

"Just enough to make me drive?" she surmised.

"Exactly," Luke nodded.

"I'm falling in love with you all over again," Lorelai said sarcastically.

"I know, I'm a man few women can resist," Luke confirmed as they approached her parents' table.

"Hi, Mom, Dad," Lorelai said as the looked up to greet her.

"Lorelai!" Emily exclaimed. "You're looking lovely."

"Thanks," Lorelai said, offering Luke a grateful smile as he pulled her chair out for her. "Great party, Dad. Lots of…people."

"This is a very important event, Lorelai," Richard explained. "The Hartford chapter of the Yale Alumni association is raising money for a tree."

"A tree?" Lorelai repeated.

"Yes, a tree," Richard nodded.

"Like…a tree you can go to the hardware store and buy for twenty bucks?" Lorelai asked.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Lorelai!" she exclaimed.

"It's not just any tree," Richard explained patiently. "We are looking to purchase a tree from the Mark Twain house to put on campus outside the literary buildings."

"Oh, so you're going to kill a tree and then bring it back to life," Lorelai said knowingly.

Richard sighed and glanced at Emily. "She gets this from you," he said.

Emily huffed. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she defended, but her small smile said otherwise.

"I'll be right back," Luke murmured in Lorelai's ear. "Want anything?"

"Club soda," Lorelai replied. "And ask them to put it in a martini glass so I can pretend like I'm drinking the good stuff."

"You got it," Luke nodded.

"Oh, there's Matthew Fitzgerald, I've been meaning to talk to him about his insurance investment," Richard commented as he stood. "Matthew! Good to see you!"

Emily smiled as she looked to Lorelai. "He simply loves these events, even though he'd never admit it."

"I know," Lorelai said. Her eyes traveled to Luke, hands shoved in his pockets as he waited at the bar, and she wished she could say the same.

"How is the baby?" Emily asked.

Lorelai smiled. "She's good. Growing a lot."

"I would hope so," Emily said.

"Rory and I finished the nursery when she was here," Lorelai continued. "You should come by and see it sometime."

"I'm just glad you're going to have a proper house for this child," Emily replied.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know, Rory ended up such a failure," she said.

"I didn't say that," Emily insisted. "But a child needs a proper home."

"Victoria will have that," Lorelai said with a nod.

"Lorelai!"

"I'm agreeing with you!" Lorelai exclaimed, holding her hands in front of her chest in self defense.

"You can't name your child Victoria!"

"Why not?" Lorelai tensed.

"You've already named one daughter after yourself, which was bad enough taste, you can't do it again," Emily reprimanded. "Of all the narsisstic things you've done, this certainly has to be the most. Naming two daughters after yourself, it's completely…"

"It was my mother's name."

Lorelai heard Luke's voice from behind her, and watched Emily's face transfer from annoyance to stone, with a brief flash of compassion in between. "Oh," she said simply.

"It's a crazy coincidence that it's Lorelai's middle name too, but I always thought I'd name a daughter after my mom. She died when I was ten," Luke said as he sat down beside Lorelai. "Victoria's named after her, not Lorelai."

"Very well," Emily said stiffly. She looked around the room uncomfortably before she said, "My apologies."

Luke nodded. "It's okay," he said.

There was an awkward silence at the table before Emily said, "I must go speak to the caterers about the timing between meals. This is completely inappropriate."

Luke and Lorelai watched her go, and then Lorelai turned to Luke with an impressed smile. "Wow, you shut Emily Gilmore up," she commented. "You're going to have to tell me how you did that."

"It's a secret," Luke shrugged. "At least I was polite."

"Yes, you were," Lorelai confirmed. She reached a hand up to stroke his cheek. "If you tell me your secret I'll marry you."

He smirked and reached for her left hand, twisting her rings on her hand. "Too late."

"Hmmm," Lorelai pretended to think before she snapped her fingers. "How about if I have your baby?"

Luke's hand moved from her hand to her stomach. "Again, too late."

"Wow, I've really done a lot for you," Lorelai commented.

Luke nodded as he pulled back and took a sip of beer. "Yes, you have," he agreed. "So what are the odds of me getting out of here without dancing?"

Lorelai simply smiled and tilted her head to the side.

"Yep, that's what I thought," Luke sighed.

An hour and a half later, they were on the dance floor, Lorelai's hand nestled in Luke's as he trailed a hand over her back. Her free hand rested on his shoulder and she commented, "Not so bad, right?"

"Nah, it's fine," Luke said.

"I love when you get romantic," Lorelai giggled. She tapped his shoulder and said, "At least we get out of two weeks of Friday Night dinner."

"There is that," Luke agreed. He felt a soft kick against his stomach and shook his head slightly. "She wants to dance too?"

"Guess so," Lorelai said. "Maybe she'll be a ballet dancer."

"Or a soccer player."

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "That would mean I'd have to learn the rules of soccer."

"Better than me learning the rules of ballet."

"We both know if she wants to take ballet classes, you'll be in the front row during her recitals," Lorelai said.

"Just like you'd be in the front row of her soccer games."

"Okay, you win," Lorelai sighed. "Break time?"

Luke pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll meet you back at the table," he said.

She nodded and slowly made her way back to the table. Her parents were still on the dance floor, and she reached for her water as she sat down in her chair, resting her sore back for a moment.

"Lorelai!"

She turned and plastered a fake smile to her face when she saw two of her mother's DAR friends approaching.

"You're looking wonderful!" one of them replied.

"You barely even look pregnant!"

"Well, joke's on you, she's tumbling around like a gymnast," Lorelai said. She forced a smile when both women reached out to touch her stomach. Maybe Rory could talk to her new friend the presumptive president elect about making a law against touching pregnant women.

"I was just saying to Emily how lovely your stepdaughter is, wasn't I, Margaret?"

"Oh, yes," Margaret enthused. Turning to Lorelai, she explained, "Theresa is good friends with Bitty Charleston."

Lorelai nodded and shifted uncomfortably. "Well, it's good to know she's not ringing any bells like those other troublemakers," she said. She reached for her water and took a long sip, hoping that Luke would save her soon.

"What are your plans for her cotillion?"

Lorelai choked on her water. She coughed for a moment, then shook her head. "Her _what?"_

"Her cotillion, you must start preparing now."

"I don't think April will be having a cotillion," Lorelai replied. It was more likely that Luke would let his daughter free in New York City than let her participate in a cotillion.

"Oh, but why not? She's so beautiful."

"How else will young men know that she's a proper women of society?"

"You know what, you should ask her father, he'd be happy to explain," Lorelai said as she pulled herself out of her chair. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go powder my nose."

She departed the table before either woman could respond and escaped into the bathroom. She smiled politely at the two other women at the sink, then braced herself against the marble counter once they departed. "Hey, Luke, I'm tired," she muttered. "Doesn't work when you abandon me."

After she washed her hands and reapplied her lipstick, Lorelai summoned the courage to drag herself out of the room. She didn't think she'd have to try too hard to convince Luke it was time to leave.

She froze when she entered the ball room and saw her mother standing in the corner, yelling at a very familiar figure. "You've got to be kidding me," she muttered, glancing wildly around the room in search of Luke. She saw her father, approaching Emily with a similar look of distaste on his face, but her husband was nowhere to be seen.

Taking a deep breath, she straightened her spine and walked closer to the corner.

"…both happy, and Lorelai has built a beautiful life," her mother was saying. "I will not allow you to waltz in here and toy with that."

"Emily, I…"

"Emily is correct," Richard intervened. "You should leave. Lorelai and Rory are both well."

Lorelai's breath caught in her throat and she hid slightly behind a pillar, wanting to hear what else would transpire in this conversation.

"I didn't know you'd be here. I didn't know _they'd_ be here."

Deciding it was finally time to intervene, Lorelai closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then inserted herself into the conversation. "Come on, Chris, we've set our watches," she said. "It's about time you drop in again."

Christopher turned to look at her, his jaw dropping when he took her in. "You're…pregnant," he informed her.

"Thanks for the heads up," Lorelai crossed her arms defensively over her chest. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I got an invitation," Christopher replied.

"Since when are you on Yale's invitation list?" Lorelai asked.

"Since I paid for our daughter to go to school there," Christopher replied hotly.

Lorelai's protective streak flared, and she dropped her arms to her side. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked. "You're saying you can provide for her when I can't? I had to go to my parents, but you could waltz in after twenty years and foot the Ivy League bill?"

Christopher held up his hands defensively. "Lor, I didn't mean that…"

"Don't call me that!" she said. "I hate that!"

"I've always called you that."

"And I've always hated it!" Lorelai exclaimed. "You want to know _why_ I couldn't afford Yale? Because I bought the diapers. And the food. And the books and the clothes and paid for the house. I paid the electric bills and club fees and the damn application fees! I was the parent, Christopher, not you!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Christopher asked. "Maybe it took me awhile, but I've provided for Rory too."

Lorelai shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "I can't do this again," she said. "God, Chris, you'd think after twenty five years, we'd be past this."

"Past _what?"_

"Past the fact that you didn't care!" Lorelai replied. "You still don't care."

"We ended it because _you_ wanted to end it."

"Oh my god, I'm not talking about us!" Lorelai cried. "I'm talking about your daughter. Rory. Remember her? Cute girl, brown eyes, super smart? Know anything about what's going on in her life right now?"

"She's on the campaign trail," Christopher replied.

"For over a year!" Lorelai exclaimed. "What do you know about her articles? Or her plans for after the election, or her boyfriend? Hell, Chris, did you even remember that you have a kid who turned twenty four last week?"

Regret flashed across Christopher's face, and he quickly tried to cover it. "I tried to call…"

"I was with her!" Lorelai replied. "Don't try to backtrack now, I know you didn't call. Rory didn't even care, she wasn't even phased by it. Because this is how it works. Things are going really well, everything's perfect, and then you waltz back into our lives. It's like you have some sort of detector to know when we're finally happy and you feel the need to destroy it!"

Christopher's expression was one of hurt, and Lorelai felt herself being tugged into Luke's familiar arms. "Lorelai, let it go," he murmured. "Come on."

"Let it go?" she asked, turning to look at him. "Luke, do you not get what's going on here?"

He glanced around the room, then ducked his head closer to hers. "Come on, we should go home," he said. "Neither one of us needs to be here. We don't have to do this again. You've got to calm down, for Victoria."

Lorelai immediately inhaled a sharp breath. In her defense of Rory, her adrenaline had begun coursing through her, and she felt her heart racing with anger. She now realized that Luke was right, that Victoria would be feeling the physical results of her irritation, and she had to calm down. Was this what being a parent of two would be like? Protecting one at the sake of the other? She hoped not.

"She's okay," Lorelai murmured, not looking at either her parents or Christopher. "I'm ready to go."

He nodded and took her arm, gently guiding her to the coat closet. Once she was wrapped in her favorite pink coat, which hardly buttoned anymore, Luke rubbed her upper arms and asked, "Want to wait here while I get the car?"

"No," she shook her head, leaning into him. "I'll go with you."

They were walking towards the door when they heard Emily's voice call out to them. Lorelai closed her eyes to gather strength, then turned to look at her mother. "I'm sorry for yelling, Mom," she hoped that was what Emily wanted to hear. "I was caught off guard."

"I know," Emily nodded. "I didn't know that he would be here, truly."

Lorelai could hear the sincerity in her voice, and nodded. "I know," she said. "I'm tired, Mom, Luke's going to take me home."

Emily's eyes traveled to Luke, who shifted under her gaze. "I am sorry," Emily repeated. "And for what it's worth, I think Victoria is a lovely name."

Lorelai smiled softly. "Thanks, Mom," she whispered.

Emily nodded before she turned on her heel and returned to the ball room.

"God, you'd think after forty years, I'd learn that there is nothing good that can come out of these things," Lorelai muttered.

"It's not your fault," Luke said.

She nodded. "I want to go home."

He silently took her hand and led her to the car. Once they were both settled in and Luke had driven to the highway, he glanced to the passenger seat, where Lorelai was leaning her head against the window. In the low glow of the streetlights, he could see a tear glistening on her cheek. "Hey, what's that?" he asked gently.

"Nothing," she said quickly. "Just stupid hormones."

"That wasn't hormonal Lorelai," Luke said gently. "That was protective mother Lorelai."

"I'm just so tired of it," Lorelai whispered. "Ever since I got pregnant with Rory, he would just show up whenever he wanted and expect things from me. I hate that he thinks he can still do this, I hate that I have to protect my daughter from her own father. I hate that he doesn't get that what he's doing is wrong."

"I know," Luke murmured. "I wish he was better for Rory's sake."

"He doesn't even care," Lorelai replied. "I can't imagine that. Having this beautiful, perfect daughter, and not wanting to know everything about her? Rory is so amazing, and Chris thinks that he can call her when he thinks about it, that he can come in and out of her life, just like I let him do for years."

"She deserves better."

"This was…" Lorelai sighed and swallowed hard. "I hate that I'll never be done with him. There will never be closure, there will always be hurt. And I hate even more that Rory has to experience those things."

"I wish I could make it better," Luke murmured.

She sighed and turned to look at him. "Thanks," she whispered. "It would have been really easy for you to get involved and let your emotions about him known."

"It wouldn't have helped anything," Luke sighed. "You're right, we can pretty much predict when he's going to show up. We don't have to go through this every time he does. We've got a great life, Lorelai. Don't let him ruin that."

"I don't want him to," Lorelai replied quietly. She paused and murmured, "I never thought I'd say this, but…you're lucky, with Anna. Even though she made our lives a living hell for awhile, she was always there for April. Your kid has two parents who love her and share responsibility for her. God, I wanted that so much for Rory. My own relationship with Chris aside, I always hoped he'd be able to pull it together as a father. He came so close a couple times, but now I know that was more about me than her."

Luke's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "Do you remember when we first started working things out?" he murmured. "After Rory left, when I started going with you to see Abby?"

"Of course," Lorelai sniffled, wondering where he was going with this.

Luke nodded slowly. "Like I said then, I learned a lot when we were apart, and when we started working things out," he said softly. "I told you how I felt like I'd never really be part of your life with Rory."

"I hate that I ever made you feel that way," she whispered.

"I'm not saying this to make you feel badly," Luke insisted. "I'm saying it because now I know I'm included in that part of your life, that I don't feel left out anymore. You've grown too, by sharing her with me."

"I still can't get my kid's dad to pay attention to her," Lorelai muttered.

"That's not your responsibility," Luke insisted. "But my point is…I don't have to be nervous to say this anymore."

"Say what?" Lorelai asked, glancing at him curiously.

"That you and Rory don't need him," Luke said. "I know you both always wanted him to step up, but you don't need him. You never have. You're both amazing on your own, and neither of you needs anything from him. We've built a pretty good life."

Lorelai smiled softly. "Yeah, I'm pretty fond of it," she admitted. "Promise you'll always be there for Victoria?"

"Of course," he said. "It's not even a question."

"And you'll always be there for Rory?" Lorelai asked.

"I love her like my own," Luke promised. "You know that, Lorelai, she's equal to April and Victoria. She can come to me for anything, I hope she knows that."

"I think she does," Lorelai confirmed. She looked at him closely for a moment, his face coming into view in quick flashes as they drove under street lights. "You're a good guy, Luke Danes."

He turned to offer her a smile. "Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yeah," she sighed, fiddling with her cell phone. "I want to call Rory."

Luke reached for her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "Go for it," he said.

Lorelai started to dial, but paused as she looked at Luke. "She turned out okay, right?" she asked. "Our oldest girl?"

A smile spread across Luke's lips at Lorelai's choice of pronouns. "She turned out perfectly," he promised. "Just like her mother and her two younger sisters."

"Why, Butch, talk like that might get you lucky tonight," Lorelai flirted, her usual energetic tone returning.

"Just call Rory," he pointed to the phone.

Lorelai dialed Rory and held the phone up to her ear as she waited for her to pick up. "Thanks, Luke," she murmured.

He reached down to squeeze her knee. "It's what I'm here for," he promised.


	6. Chapter 6

**We're so close to the revival! I can't wait to find out what happens. Hopefully this will tide you over a bit. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Lorelai sighed as she trudged into the kitchen of the Dragonfly, dropping onto a stool with a groan. Sookie offered her a sympathetic smile as she stirred something on the stove. "How are you feeling, sweetie?" she asked.

"Like I'm growing a human," Lorelai sighed.

"I remember those days," Sookie said. "Leaving the second trimester glow behind, aren't you?"

Lorelai sighed as she rested her elbow on the counter and leaned her head against her hand. "As of Thanksgiving Day, I was officially in the third trimester," she confirmed.

"At least Rory's home for awhile," Sookie tried to comfort her. "That must make you happy."

"Yeah, it does," Lorelai sighed. "She's been so ecstatic since the election, and having her around has been great. She's been a huge help baby proofing the house."

"That's good," Sookie nodded. "Is she staying through the New Year?"

"I think so," Lorelai confirmed. "Her new job at Harvard starts in February, and she's going to Washington for the inauguration. But she promised she'll rush back, because I'm due three days later."

"How's Luke?" Sookie asked.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Protective as ever," she said. "Last night I told him I wasn't hungry and he asked if I needed to go to the hospital."

"Well, in his defense, you've never been not hungry before," Sookie pointed out.

"True," Lorelai nodded. "But it's also been awhile since I've had a human pushing all my organs out of place."

Sookie wrinkled her nose. "Makes you wonder why people refer to this as such a magical time," she nodded.

"If Kirk talks about my motherly glow one more time, I may actually kill him," Lorelai said. "Or, you know, get Luke to do it, since I weigh as much as a whale."

"You do not, you're all belly," Sookie promised. She put a lid on the pot on the stove and asked, "Is her nursery coming along?"

"Yeah, it was done before Thanksgiving," Lorelai confirmed. "Just another ten weeks or so."

"It's gone so fast!" Sookie cried. "Can you believe how fast it's gone?"

Lorelai glared at her. "I've been pregnant for a hundred years," she stated.

Sookie held her hands up defensively in front of her. "Right, sorry," she said. "I should know better than to have suggested a pregnancy went fast."

"I'll add you to my list," Lorelai sighed as she took a deep breath and forced herself to her feet. "Okay, I've got to go make sure that Michel won't completely change the entire décor of this inn while I'm on maternity leave."

"When are you done working?" Sookie asked.

"I think I'll work until Christmas," Lorelai said. "I love being here during the holidays, and I'll take it easy. But I want to be here."

Sookie nodded slowly. "Just make sure you slow down if you need to," she said.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "As I recall, you rented a room when you were supposed to be on bedrest with Martha," she challenged.

"I was in bed!" Sookie defended.

"I'm not judging," Lorelai said. "Besides, it's not like Luke will let me out of the house if my heart rate is at all elevated."

"He's a good guy, that Luke," Sookie confirmed.

Lorelai nodded. "I'll like him even more once his kid stops punching me," she acknowledged.

The door to the kitchen swung open and Rory walked in with a smile on her face. "Hi, Sookie!" she smiled. "Hey, Mom!"

"Hi, sweets," Lorelai said tiredly, reaching out to rub a hand over Rory's arm. "How's Lane?"

"She's good, the boys are growing so much," Rory said. "She sent this for you."

Lorelai peered inside the bag Rory was holding and smiled softly. "Blankets and bibs?" she asked.

"The boys have outgrown a lot of that, so she figured you could use some of it for Victoria," Rory explained. "Whatever you can't use, just give to charity."

"Great, we'll definitely use them," Lorelai said with a nod. "I'll call her later in the week to say thanks."

"Okay," Rory said. "Is it okay if I stick around for awhile?"

Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "You're not very subtle," she informed her.

Rory crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest. "I don't know what you're talking about," she countered.

"Uh huh, just like you didn't know why you felt the need to change the sheets on my bed yesterday, or walk Paul Anka the day before that," Lorelai said. "You're baby-sitting me."

"I am not!" Rory cried indignantly.

"Come on, Rory, between you and Luke I've barely had a minute to myself since Thanksgiving," Lorelai said. "Go do something fun."

"Well, I can't go home, because April's in her finals induced studying frenzy, and she told me I _read_ too loudly," Rory said. "Can you believe that? I finally have time to read for fun, and she tells me it's distracting! I figured that since my mother owns an inn with a beautiful, cozy library, I could spend the afternoon here will no one will yell at me every time I turn a page. But if it's too much of a hindrance, I suppose I could just go to Luke's, but then he'll ask me if I was here, and then he won't stop asking questions until I tell him every last facet of how you looked and what you were saying, at which point…"

"Okay, I give, you can stay," Lorelai held up her hands. "You totally got my babbling capabilities."

Rory nodded. "Thank you," she said.

"I have cookies here," Sookie spoke up.

"Thanks!" Rory cried. She grabbed two cookies before she ran out of the room, the door flapping closed behind her.

"Sometimes it's still hard for me to believe that she's not nine years old anymore," Sookie said with a shake of her head.

"You're telling me," Lorelai sighed. She ran a hand over her stomach and said, "Luke and I are working on a potion for Victoria to drink when she's eight so she'll stay that way forever."

"When you figure it out, bottle it and sell it," Sookie suggested. "You'd make billions."

"All part of the plan," Lorelai said. "Okay, I'm going to go get some stuff done."

"Sounds good," Sookie nodded. "Let me know if you want anything to eat."

Lorelai made a face. "I will, thanks," she said.

Michel was standing at the front desk when she arrived, and he offered her a tired sigh. "Oh, you are still here," he said with disappointment.

"Of course I am, it's my inn," Lorelai replied. She tried to scoot behind him to reach for her stack of mail, but frowned when she realized she couldn't fit. "Hand me the mail."

He didn't bother to look at her as he handed the basket to her. "You are very fat," he informed her.

"Uh huh, so are you," Lorelai said as she flipped through the envelopes. "At least I'll have my figure back in a few months."

"I am not fat!" Michel cried.

Lorelai selected the mail she needed and handed the basket back to him. "Of course not," she said. "Just a little bit of extra blubber for the winter, right?"

Without waiting for a response she turned to her office, pausing halfway to her desk when she felt a sharp pain in the side of her stomach. "Stupid muscles stretching," she muttered. "January 23rd can't get here soon enough."

XXXXX

An hour later, Rory was curled into a chair in the library of the Dragonfly, a cup of coffee in her hands and a book spread open in her lap. She'd loved her time on the campaign trail, but there hadn't been much time for her to read for pleasure. Now that she was home for a couple months, she was taking advantage of the time in every way she could.

She knew that her mother was starting to get uncomfortable. Although Lorelai's complaints were usually made as jokes, Rory could tell that most of them were rooted in truth. For the first time that she could remember, her mother had barely touched her plate at Thanksgiving, and had been going to bed far earlier than she usually did, between nine and ten. It was obvious that as Lorelai entered her final trimester, she was becoming more and more anxious for the baby to arrive.

Luke had noticed too, and when Lorelai had been napping one afternoon they'd agreed to subtly watch over her and help her out. Both of them knowing Lorelai as well as they did, it was obvious she wouldn't welcome constant supervision. So it was agreed that until she went on maternity leave, they'd both find reasons to call or stop by the inn, enlisting Sookie as a spy to let one of them know if something went wrong.

Rory didn't mind spending time here anyway. She understood her mother and Luke purchasing another house, and she loved the one they'd chosen. But she still felt more at home at the Dragonfly, and a cold late November afternoon curled up in front of the fire with a book and a cup of coffee was the perfect way to relax.

She was glad to be back in Stars Hollow. Her new job in Boston would be exciting, and it would be good to have some stability and a routine, but she was glad the position wasn't available until early February. Spending the holiday season at home and being with her mother when Victoria was born was something she was grateful for.

"Rory!"

She was out of her seat the second she heard her mother's panicked scream, and she stopped short as she reached the lobby and took in the scene before her. "Mom?" she cried, taking in the sight of Lorelai seated on the couch, bent over as she clutched the edges of the cushions tightly. "What's wrong?"

"She's having some pain, honey," Sookie said soothingly from where she was crouched beside Lorelai. "Michel's calling 911."

Rory barely glanced at Michel, who was behind the desk murmuring into the phone. "Mom," she said, wedging herself in front of Sookie. "Mom, talk to me."

"Call Luke," Lorelai whispered, clenching her eyes shut.

"I'll call him," Sookie promised. "Rory, bring the car around. The hospital says it's best not to wait for an ambulance, to bring her in right away."

"Okay," Rory said, not moving from Lorelai's side. "Mom, are you okay?"

"I want to talk to Luke," Lorelai repeated, and Rory saw a tear slip down her cheek.

"Honey, you should really pull the car around," Sookie said gently. "I'll make sure we get ahold of Luke and get her outside."

Rory squeezed her mother's hand tightly before she stood and hurried out the door to her car. She quickly pulled it around to the front porch of the Dragonfly, where she saw Sookie helping her mother down the stairs.

"I left a message for Luke," Sookie said as Rory pulled the passenger door open. "I told him to call your cell phone as soon as he could."

"Okay, thanks Sookie," Rory said, helping Lorelai into her front seat. Lorelai echoed her thanks as she leaned back into the seat and squeezed her eyes closed.

Once Rory was back in the driver's side and moving the car onto the highway, she asked, "How are you feeling?"

Lorelai let out a slow breath. "Not that great," she said.

"Is she coming?"

"I don't know," Lorelai said honestly. "I hope not, it's still too early."

Rory pressed a little harder on the accelerator, needing to get her mother to a doctor as quickly as possible. Her phone rang from the center console, and she quickly snatched it up without looking at the screen. "Luke?"

"Rory, what the hell is going on?" he asked, his voice worried. "Where are you?"

"About ten minutes away from St. Joseph's," Rory replied. "Mom's having some pain."

"Pain?" Luke repeated. "What kind of pain? Is she okay? Can I talk to her?"

Rory held the phone out to her mother, who took it and whispered a quivering, "Hey." Rory wasn't sure she'd ever heard her sound so vulnerable, and she focused on driving to give Lorelai some semblance of privacy while on the phone. In the distance, the few tall buildings that made up Hartford's skyline were visible, and she was sure she'd never been so happy to see them. She heard her mother whisper, "Love you too," before she hung up and slid the phone back onto the console. "How much longer?"

"About five minutes," Rory replied, pulling off the highway. "I'll drop you off at the emergency room entrance and then park the car."

Lorelai attempted a smile as she looked at Rory. "Thanks, honey."

"I want you to be okay," Rory admitted quietly.

Lorelai inhaled sharply. "Me too."

Rory parked the car outside the emergency entrance and then ran around to pull the passenger side door open. After helping Lorelai inside and leaving her in the trusted hands of a nurse, she returned to her car, her hands shaking as she tried to fight off the fear coursing through her.

XXXXX

Ten minutes later, Luke charged through the doors to the hospital and immediately zeroed in on Rory, who was standing nervously beside the Emergency room doors. "Rory," he called, rushing over to her. "Where is she?"

"In an exam room," Rory replied, gesturing towards the doors. "They wouldn't let me in, but they said you could go back."

"Thanks, kid, I'll keep you updated!" Luke called over his shoulder as he pushed through the doors. He hurried down the hallway, looking for any sign of his wife, and felt an immediate sense of relief when he heard her annoyed voice floating out of an exam room.

"What the hell do you think I'm going to do with a warm washcloth?" she was demanding. "Do you think putting this on my forehead is going to help at all?"

"Lorelai," he sighed in relief to see her, pale but sitting upright on an exam table to his left.

All the annoyance in her face shifted to relief as she took in his presence before her. "Luke," she whispered, visibly relaxing.

"Thank God you're okay," he murmured, stepping closer to her and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

Lorelai closed her eyes as she leaned into him. "I'm so glad you're here," she whispered.

"Of course I'm here," he murmured into the top of her head. "What's going on? Is she okay?" he addressed the nurse who was hooking an IV bag onto the pole beside Lorelai.

The nurse offered him a reassuring smile. "We've given her some medicine to stop the contractions," she said. "The doctor will be in shortly."

Lorelai smiled slightly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Thank you," she said quietly. The nurse slipped out of the room, and Luke turned back to Lorelai with a worried expression.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. "Are you okay?" His eyes moved from the IV needle in her hand to the fetal monitor tracking Victoria's heartbeat, relieved to see that it was beeping steadily.

Lorelai offered him a small nod. "I'm already feeling better," she confirmed. "They drew some blood, and the medicine has already made the pain go away. They found a heartbeat, which is obviously a good thing." She paused and focused on her stomach. "She's moving like crazy."

A small smile appeared on Luke's face as he reached out to rest his hand on Lorelai's stomach. A moment later he was met with a sharp punch, and he visibly relaxed. "She's getting strong," he commented.

Smiling slightly, Lorelai moved his hand down slightly, and he felt another ripple of her skin. "She's excited, I guess," she commented.

"God, I hope she's okay," Luke murmured.

Lorelai's eyes darkened and she nodded. "Me too," she said quietly.

Before Luke could say anything, a doctor only a few years older than Rory walked into the room with a polite smile. "Hello, Lorelai, I'm Dr. Hall," he introduced himself.

Lorelai looked at him skeptically. "Okay, Doogie Houser, can I get a grown up doctor?" she asked.

"I get that a lot," Dr. Hall said as he flipped through her chart. "I'm the OBGYN doctor on call."

"So what's going on?" Luke asked as he watched the doctor note the numbers on the fetal monitor and look through Lorelai's chart. "She was having pain, that's not normal. Is she in labor?"

"I'll do an exam," Dr. Hall nodded. "It says you were dizzy as well?"

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded. "I…I had some pain earlier, but I thought it was just my muscles stretching. I was paying bills at my desk, and then I stood up to get some paperwork. I felt a really sharp pain in my stomach, and then I got really dizzy. I sat down, but the pain didn't really stop until I got here."

Dr. Hall nodded slowly. "It says here you've given birth before?" he confirmed.

"A million years ago," Lorelai nodded.

"How was the pain you felt today compared to that delivery?" Dr. Hall inquired.

Lorelai considered it for a moment. "Not as bad as the actual delivery," she said. "Like I said, it was a long time ago, but maybe comparable to the when I first realized I was in labor. Before I got to the hospital."

"Okay," Dr. Hall said. He set the chart down and washed his hands, then snapped on a pair of gloves. "I'll just do a quick exam, and then I'll have a better idea of what we're looking at."

Lorelai nodded and leaned back on the table, looking to Luke as the doctor began the exam. Luke stepped closer and offered her a sympathetic smile, taking her hand before he brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. She swallowed hard as she met his gaze, then shifted her eyes to the ceiling as she saw the hope and love reflected in his expression. She'd never forgive herself if anything happened to their baby.

"Okay," Dr. Hall said as he leaned back on his stool. "You're not dilated or effaced, which is good news."

Luke let out an audible sigh of relief. "Good, that's good," he said.

"It is," Dr. Hall agreed. "However, it is still very early for you to be experiencing this kind of pain. Braxton Hicks isn't uncommon, but the dizziness that accompanied it, combined with the length of your pain, makes me a little concerned. I'd like to keep you overnight for observation."

"Overnight?" Lorelai frowned.

"Just as a precaution at this point," Dr. Hall reassured. "We'll get you checked in and up to a room, and then I want to do a full ultrasound. Your daughter has a strong heartbeat, but I want to make sure everything else looks okay."

Despite her fear, a small smile crossed Lorelai's face. "We get to see her?" she asked.

"Very soon," Dr. Hall said. "I'll go talk to the nurses, and an orderly should be in to bring you upstairs in a few minutes."

"Thank you," Luke said, and Lorelai murmured her thanks as well.

Once the doctor had left, Lorelai sighed and looked at Luke carefully. "Well, I guess we get a practice run," she murmured.

Luke brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "At least we get to see her," he tried to offer comfort.

"Yeah," Lorelai said flatly. "Where's Rory?"

"In the waiting room," Luke said. "Spouses only back here."

Lorelai nodded robotically. "I don't want her to worry," she said.

"I'll go talk to her," Luke said. He leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead. "You'll be okay here for a few minutes?"

"Yeah," she said. "Tell her I'm okay? Tell her I love her?"

"You got it," he said. He trailed his fingers over her stomach before he stepped out of the room and back into the hallway.

Before he walked back into the waiting room, Luke braced himself against the wall, inhaling deep breaths as he tried to control his emotions. Getting the phone call from Sookie that afternoon had scared the hell out of him, but now that he knew Lorelai wasn't in active labor, he could start to calm down. He was still worried, but seeing her, listening to her, and holding her had made him feel at least the tiniest bit better.

Thinking of Rory, worried in the waiting room, Luke squared his shoulders and adjusted his hat on his head as he strode towards the doors.

The second he walked through the door, Rory was on her feet in front of him, her eyes wide and worried. "How's Mom?" she demanded. "How's Victoria? Are they okay?"

"They're okay," Luke confirmed, reaching out to squeeze Rory's shoulder. "They gave your mom some medicine to stop the contractions, and they found a steady heartbeat from Victoria."

Rory relaxed visibly. "Good," she said. "That's really good."

"Yeah, it is," Luke nodded. "They want to keep her overnight, just to make sure everything's okay, so they're moving her to a room upstairs right now."

Rory's eyes widened, but she quickly put forth a brave stance. "What can I do?" she asked.

"I'm going to stay with her tonight," Luke said. "Can you stay at home, make sure April's okay?"

Rory nodded. "Of course," she said. "I can run home now, pick up some stuff for you and Mom if you want. April and I can bring dinner back and visit for a bit, if Mom's up to it."

Luke smiled softly. "I think she'd love that, kid," he said.

Rory nodded. "I'll call April and tell her everything's okay," she volunteered. "Is there anything specific you want me to bring over?"

Luke ran a hand over his face. "She likes those light blue pajamas," he said. "Maybe the blanket she's been working on for Victoria so she has something to do. Some movies to watch. Casablanca, and…I don't even know what else."

"I've got it," Rory nodded. "Don't worry, Luke, I'll take care of everything."

Luke could see the fear in her eyes, and he reached out to pull her into a comforting hug. "She'll be okay, Rory," he promised. "I'm not going to let anything happen to her or Victoria."

Rory hugged him back tightly before she squared her shoulders and stood straight. "I'll be back with April in a couple hours," she said. "Call me if you need anything, or if you think of anything else Mom might need."

Luke nodded. "Thanks, kid," he said. She reached for her bag and then hurried out the hospital doors. Luke watched her retreat, then turned back to the Emergency Room doors. He pushed his way through, eager to return to Lorelai's side and make sure everything was still okay."

"Mr. Danes?" the nurse at the desk addressed him as he passed.

"Yes?" he asked, feeling his heart rate speed up exponentially.

"They just brought your wife upstairs," the nurse informed him. "She's in room 307."

Luke nodded his thanks, and after asking for directions to the elevator quickly found his way to room 307. Lorelai was sitting upright in the bed, and a nurse was reattaching the fetal monitor to her stomach. Luke felt his heart tighten at the thought of how much worse things could have been. He hated seeing Lorelai here, in a cold, impersonal hospital room, but he had to remind himself that she was awake, making jokes, and Victoria's heartbeat was steady. This was a far cry from the miserable hours he'd spent in this very hospital when his father had slept for hours at a time while fighting a losing battle with lung cancer.

Lorelai's eyes shifted to him, and she smiled nervously. "Hey, you found me," she commented.

"Just followed the talking," Luke shrugged, stepping into the room and reaching for her hand. He looked to the nurse and asked, "How's everything looking?"

She offered them both a sympathetic smile. "Looks good so far," she said. "We'll give you a few minutes to settle in, and Dr. Hall should be in shortly."

"Thanks," Lorelai whispered as the nurse hooked her chart over the end of her bed and walked out of the room. "How's Rory?" she asked Luke.

Luke settled onto the side of her bed, facing her. "She's okay," he said, resting a hand on her knee. "A little shaken up, but she's relieved you're going to be okay."

"Can I see her?" Lorelai asked.

Luke squeezed her knee gently. "She ran home to get you some stuff," he said. "She's going to bring April back later. I figured you'd want to know exactly what we're facing here before you had visitors."

Lorelai nodded. "Considering she's freaked out when Victoria kicks, being here for the ultrasound would probably give her a stroke," she said.

Determined to see the smile he loved so much, Luke placed a hand on her stomach and remarked, "We've got a busy girl."

"We do," Lorelai sighed, leaning back into the pillows. She stared at the ceiling for a moment before she met his eyes. "That's good, right?"

"I'm no doctor, but I'd say it's a pretty good thing," Luke said. He leaned down to press a soft kiss to the place where he felt the most movement, and felt a sense of relief when Lorelai offered him a small smile.

"I can't believe how much you've mellowed out," she said quietly.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "For someone who has blown a fuse over kids literally spilling milk in the diner, you've come a long way," she said. "All stomach kissing and reading to her is nice."

"She's my daughter."

A full fledged smile appeared on Lorelai's face. "I know you love her," she said. "I just…still marvel sometimes at how different you are than the man whose first words to me were 'sit down and shut up.'"

Despite himself, Luke smirked. "I believe it was last night that I said the exact same thing when you wouldn't stop running around the house and yammering about Christmas trees."

Lorelai giggled. "Yeah, but it's different now," she said. "You're saying it because you care, not because I'm annoying you."

"A little bit of both," Luke said with a soft smile.

Lorelai shook her head. "Don't pull that on me, Cool Hand," she said. "I know that you've been trying to get me to slow down to take it easy. Clearly I should have listened, or I wouldn't have ended up here."

"Don't do that," Luke urged. "She's okay, Lorelai. We're going to see her in a few minutes."

"I can't wait," Lorelai admitted.

"Okay, how are you feeling, Lorelai?" Dr. Hall asked as he walked into the room, a technician wheeling a portable ultrasound machine behind him.

"Okay," Lorelai replied.

"Good, we're going to perform an ultrasound, just to make sure everything looks as good as it sounds," Dr. Hall said as he washed his hands. "Her heartbeat is strong, so we're just going to make sure the placenta is intact and the umbilical cord isn't causing any distress. Then we'll talk about your test results and what we're looking at for the remainder of your pregnancy."

Lorelai swallowed hard as Luke stood and positioned himself beside her. "Okay," she said quietly.

Luke reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly, offering his support as she settled back against the pillows. Dr. Hall squeezed some gel onto her stomach and then tapped the machine on before running the probe over her stomach. A moment later, Victoria's image appeared on the screen and Lorelai smiled, despite her fears.

"She's so big," Luke commented, tilting his head to the side.

"She's beautiful," Lorelai commented. "Look, you can see the shape of her eyes and everything!"

Dr. Hall moved the probe around carefully, then nodded. "Placenta looks to be healthy," he said with a nod. "Baby is healthy, moving all her limbs, and the cord does not appear to be in a dangerous position."

"That's good, right?" Lorelai asked.

With a nod. Dr. Hall examined the image on the screen for a few more moments before he clicked the machine off and slipped his gloves off. "You did the right thing coming in," he said. "You were presenting with mild dehydration and moderate anemia. Your daughter looks to be very healthy, but we need to talk about the rest of your pregnancy."

"Does she need to be on bedrest?" Luke asked.

"Not yet," Dr. Hall said. "But you should consider yourself pretty lucky. We're going to look at this as a warning. We've already started rehydrating you through the IV, and we'll get your iron count up as well. If everything looks to be back on track by tomorrow you can go home, but you need to start taking it easy. If you need to keep working, see if you can work in the mornings and go home at lunch. Walking short distances is fine, but you shouldn't be exerting yourself."

"Okay," Lorelai said quietly.

"I'm going prescribe you some iron supplements, but you need to make sure you're drinking plenty of water, even if you're not thirsty," Dr. Hall continued. "I know eating and drinking can be difficult during the third trimester, but we need to make sure both you and the baby are getting proper nourishments."

"She'll eat," Luke said firmly. "That's never been a problem before."

Lorelai glared at him, then turned to the doctor. "Is she really okay?" she asked.

"She's okay," Dr. Hall confirmed. "She's a healthy size, even a little large. But if she were to be born today, we'd be facing some pretty severe challenges to overcome. I want to keep her in there for at least another six weeks, but preferably another eight or nine."

"I'll stop working," Lorelai said, glancing at Luke. "I'll take it easier, I promise."

"Good," Dr. Hall said. "I'll be in to check on you later, but if you need anything page the nurses. They should be bringing your dinner through in an hour or so."

"Thank you," Lorelai said. She sighed and looked at Luke as he reclaimed his spot beside her on the bed. "Well, I guess you were right."

"I don't care about that," he murmured. "You okay?"

She shrugged. "I haven't had any more pain," she said.

"Good," Luke said, looking around the room. "You got a private room."

"Which is nice," she confirmed. She bit her lip and asked almost shyly, "Will you stay with me tonight?"

"Already planning on it," he said with a nod.

"We can consider it practice," Lorelai said. "We should see if we should take a tour."

"A tour?" Luke asked.

"Of the maternity ward," Lorelai replied. "They'll show us the delivery room and the room where we'll stay and everything. You know, since when we get here for the real deal I won't exactly be in my most charming mood."

Luke nodded. "Okay, as long as you're feeling up to it," he said.

She sighed as she looked at him carefully. "She's big," she recalled what the doctor had said.

"She is," Luke said. "She'll keep getting bigger."

"Can't wait for that delivery," Lorelai muttered. She met his gaze and offered him a brave smile, then said, "She better be cute."

"She will be," Luke nodded. "Just look at her parents."

A full fledged smile came across Lorelai's face. "Humility is so over rated," she acknowledged.

XXXXX

Two hours later, Luke looked up from the paperwork he was filling out when he sensed movement in the doorway. He glanced at Lorelai, still sound asleep, then stood from the chair beside the bed. He set the clipboard on the chair and moved to the door to greet April and Rory.

"Hey," he said as he ushered them into the hall so they could talk without waking Lorelai.

April stepped forward and hugged him tightly. Luke returned the hug and smiled gratefully at Rory over April's head. "How's Lorelai?" April asked when she pulled away.

"She's okay," Luke said, glancing back into the room. "They gave her some medicine to stop the contractions, and it's making her tired."

"Contractions?" Rory repeated. "She was in labor?"

"Not active labor," Luke sighed. "She was dehydrated and anemic. They're hoping to get her back on track by tomorrow, but she's going to have to slow down when she gets home. No more working, and we can make staying home appealing to her by spoiling her."

The worry momentarily left Rory's face as she smirked at him. "How is that any different than now?" she asked.

"Not much," Luke admitted.

"We brought food," April said, holding up a bag from the diner. "We didn't think Lorelai would want hospital food."

"You thought right," Luke confirmed. "She's been asleep for about an hour, but I'm sure she'll wake up soon so she doesn't get off her feeding schedule."

"Can I sit with her?" Rory asked.

"You're both welcome to stay, but I want her to get as much sleep as possible," Luke said.

"We came prepared," April said, holding up her overstuffed back pack. "Finals."

"New York Times Classic Reading Challenge," Rory held up a thick book.

Luke gestured to the door, and Rory immediately rushed to the chair on the other side of Lorelai's bed. April claimed the small loveseat next to the door, and Luke reclaimed his chair next to Lorelai. The three of them settled into their individual tasks, but about fifteen minutes later Luke set his paperwork aside when he heard stirring from Lorelai's bed.

Her hand moved to her stomach, and then her nose scrunched in the way it always did before she woke up. She brought a hand up to scratch it, and a moment later her eyes fluttered open. "Hi, husband," she whispered when she met his gaze.

"Hey," he said, sitting forward and reaching for her hand. He pressed a kiss to the back of it, then asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," she admitted.

"You have some guests," Luke informed her, nodding across the bed to where Rory was now sitting at attention.

Lorelai turned her head and smiled at the sight of her daughter. "Hey, firstborn," she said with a smile. "Thanks for the ride earlier."

Rory's eyes were filled with worry. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Fine," Lorelai said with a nod. "Just doing some research on hospitals before the real deal."

Rory smiled, but she didn't look convinced.

Lorelai let go of Luke's hand and fumbled around on the bed. "What are you looking for?" he asked, standing in preparation to help.

"How does this thing sit up?" Lorelai asked.

Luke pushed the button and the bed slowly eased into a seated position. "Better?" he asked.

"That was fun!" Lorelai exclaimed, her eyes sparkling, and Luke could tell she was feeling better. "We should get one of those for home!"

"No," he said with a stern look.

Lorelai sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine," she huffed. Her expression softened as April abandoned her books to stand beside Luke. "Wow, you came out of your finals cave to come visit me? I must be your favorite stepmom."

"Confirmed," April said with a nod. She eyed Lorelai carefully, then said, "I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks, sweetie," Lorelai said with a smile. She looked towards the couch and asked, "Is that food I smell?"

"Yes, we brought you soup and a turkey sandwich," April reported. "We weren't sure…"

Lorelai smiled. "That sounds perfect," she said. "Hand it over!"

Luke was relieved that Lorelai was willing to eat a healthier meal than usual without much complaint, but his mood shifted to concern when eyes landed on Rory. She was frozen in her chair, her eyes wide with fear as they darted from the IV bag to the fetal monitor to Lorelai's face. He understood exactly how she was feeling; he'd felt the same panic and helplessness when he'd first seen his wife in this situation.

Clearing his throat, he turned to April and said, "How about you join me in tracking down some food for the rest of us?"

"Sure," April said. She handed the bag of food to Lorelai, then followed Luke out of the room.

"Oh my god, I'm starving," Lorelai said as she eagerly opened the bag. "I hope you at least included French fries. I've accepted that a burger is probably not the best food for me to be eating right now, but I think a fry or two wouldn't hurt. It's not like…"

"Are you okay?"

Lorelai dropped the bag when she heard the worry in Rory's voice. "I'm fine, Rory," she said sincerely. "Really, Victoria and I are both okay. It was just a scare."

"Are you sure?" Rory asked. "Because you're in the hospital. That doesn't mean fine to me."

With a sigh, Lorelai deposited her dinner on the end table, then scooted over in the bed. "Come here," she said, patting the empty space next to her.

"I can't fit," Rory protested, but her eyes told Lorelai she wanted to.

"Hon, I know I've gained a million pounds, but you're skinny as ever," Lorelai said. "Come on, snuggle with the mommy."

Rory slid into the bed and burrowed into Lorelai's embrace. "This used to be easier," she said with a smile.

"You used to be smaller," Lorelai said, her hand moving to smooth Rory's hair over her forehead.

"So did you."

"I was a lot fatter with you."

"Okay, truce," Rory requested.

"Raising the white flag," Lorelai confirmed.

"I'm really glad you're going to be okay," Rory confessed. "Both of you."

Lorelai pressed a kiss to Rory's forehead. "Me too, hon," she said gently.

"Part of me doesn't want to leave," Rory whispered. "I want to stay here, and get to know her."

"You'll know her," Lorelai said firmly.

"I know, but…it's not the same," Rory whispered. She was quiet for a moment before she admitted, "There's a position open at the Hartford Gazette. As a political columnist."

"Rory, you are _not_ giving up a job at Harvard for some stupid Hartford newspaper," Lorelai replied.

"But I could live at home," Rory insisted. "It's been so nice being here after being away for so long. I don't want to leave again."

Lorelai sighed. "You know I'd love nothing more than for you to stay here and never leave again," she said. "But you're better than this, Rory. We'll always be here if you want to come visit. You've got a job with Harvard's literary magazine, and you're not giving that up. You've worked too hard for that."

"But…"

"You're twenty four," Lorelai continued. "You should be going out with Ethan, singing Sweet Caroline at Red Sox games and dancing on bars."

Rory giggled. "That's not what _you_ were doing when you were twenty four," she countered.

"No," Lorelai admitted. "And I don't regret that. You've worked hard for this, kid. Not to mention, you've got a boy who loves you waiting for you there. That's just the icing on the cake."

Rory nodded. "I know you're right," she said. "I just want to know her. I want to be a real sister, not just…that girl who's also her mom's daughter."

"You'll be her sister," Lorelai promised. "If it helps, I can even give her more mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving so you'll think I like her better, create some sibling rivalry. You'll be Marcia, she'll be Cindy. Poor April's stuck being Jan."

With a giggle, Rory shook her head. "That's okay," she said.

Lorelai sighed. "Rory, you're my best friend," she whispered. "I know I'm finally doing things in a more traditional way, but Victoria will never replace you."

"She'll never have to deal with you running away from a wedding," Rory admitted.

"Nope, that was reserved specifically for you," Lorelai nodded.

"Or dating her teacher."

"Not unless Luke develops an urge to suddenly help America's youth become more literate."

"I'll have to give her tips on how to deal with you oversharing disturbing details though," Rory surmised.

Lorelai smiled as she traced a finger over Rory's arm. "Probably smart," she said.

"And teach her how to sneak on dates without telling Luke," Rory added. "It's worked for April."

"Excuse me, what do you know that I don't?" Lorelai demanded.

"Can't tell you," Rory said. "Sister secrets."

"But I'm the fun parent!"

"And if I tell you what I know, you'll tell Luke and April won't trust me anymore," Rory replied.

Lorelai looked at her suspiciously. "Is it anything…life changing?" she asked.

"No, just innocent flirting," Rory confirmed. "Think me and Dean."

"You and _Dean?"_ Lorelai asked. "The guy you lost your virginity to? Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Not _that_ disaster," Rory quickly amended. "The first time, when there was very little touching involved."

"Good," Lorelai sighed.

Rory sighed as she glanced at the fetal monitor that was beeping Victoria's heartbeat. "You know, I'm the only one who can truly speak from experience," she commented. "So I do believe that I'm the only one who can state with certainty that Victoria has the greatest mom in the world."

Lorelai smiled as she tightened her arms around Rory. "Thanks, kid," she whispered. "She's got a pretty great oldest sister too."

"I'll try," Rory promised. "I love you, Mommy."

Lorelai squeezed her eyes closed, cherishing the rare moment she had alone with Rory. "I love you too, baby," she whispered. "So much."

XXXXX

Rory trudged behind Luke as he guided Lorelai's wheelchair through the halls of the hospital the following afternoon. Although Lorelai had been discharged from the hospital an hour and a half earlier, she'd insisted on touring the maternity ward to prepare herself and Luke for what was to come in January.

Now, after the tour, Rory was more than ready to go home. She was certain that Luke was feeling the same way, having informed Lorelai that even the tour wasn't necessary today, but Lorelai had quickly overruled both of them by stating that if she had to leave the hospital in a wheelchair, she might as well get a tour first.

"Stop here," Lorelai requested, and Luke obliged. When he realized where they were, he reached down and squeezed her shoulder, smiling as she reached up to pat his hand.

Lorelai pushed herself to her feet and smiled as she made her way to the large rectangular window that separated them from the newborn babies, Luke following to stand beside her. Rory stood at her mother's other side and took in the scene as well.

"They're adorable," Lorelai commented, and Luke nodded in agreement. There were twelve beds in the nursery, and nine of them were filled. Lorelai followed Luke's gaze to a set of parents who had entered the nursery and were crouching over a pink bundle in a crib in the back. He swallowed hard as he watched the father reach into the plastic crib and pick up his daughter, cradling her gently against his chest. "Won't be long now."

He cleared his throat slightly. "Hopefully a couple months still," he said, looking at her sternly.

"I know, don't worry, I'll slow down," she promised. Her eyes traveled to the empty crib right in front of her, and she nudged Rory with her elbow. "See that one?"

"What about it?" Rory asked, following her mother's gaze.

"A little over twenty four years ago, the most perfect baby in the world slept right there," Lorelai stated.

A curious smile appeared on Rory's face. "Really?" she asked.

"Yep," Lorelai nodded. "I assume they've upgraded the beds, but I was standing in this very spot. They wanted me to stay in bed, but I told them if they were going to insist on taking you, then I was going to stand right here."

"Not surprising," Rory said with a smile.

"And your grandparents were standing right where Luke is right now the first time they saw you," Lorelai nodded.

Rory nodded slowly. "Did they really fight over who got to hold me first?" she asked, recalling the story she'd heard long ago.

"Of course they did," Lorelai said. "My mother tried to hold you before _I_ did. Something about me not being careful enough with her fine china."

Rory giggled. "Sounds about right."

"I told her that I cared about you a hell of a lot more than I did about her china," Lorelai continued. "And that I would treat you with the same sacred mannerisms in which I treated my Bono tapes."

"I'm sure she loved that," Rory scoffed.

Lorelai shrugged. "It was different after you were born," she said. "You belonged to me, and only me. It was scary, but also…empowering. I could stand up to her with justification because she had no power over you."

Rory glanced around Lorelai to Luke for a moment before she tentatively asked her next question. "Was I in there the first time Dad saw me?" she asked.

Lorelai cleared her throat, then nodded. "Yeah, he was standing about where you are now," she confirmed. "He said you were pretty."

"Really?" Rory asked softly.

"Yep, and I reminded him that you weren't just pretty, you were perfect," Lorelai said proudly.

"And he left without holding me," Rory said flatly.

Lorelai turned to look at her. "I'm pretty sure I always left that part out of the story," she said.

Rory shrugged. "I deduced," she said. She was quiet before she asked, "When was the next time he saw me?"

"Rory, we don't have to do this here," Lorelai said, and she felt Luke brush his hand against hers. She knew he didn't want to interrupt their moment, but she appreciated his subtle reminder that he was here for her.

"I'm not going to get mad, I'm just curious," Rory insisted.

Lorelai sighed and turned back to the babies. "About a year after we moved to Stars Hollow," she said quietly. "He was visiting for Easter, so I took you to Hartford to see him. We brought you to the playground. You were a year and a half old, already walking and talking. He was astounded that you weren't a baby, that you had a real personality already."

Rory nodded slowly. "Sounds about right," she said flatly.

Luke put his arm around Lorelai's shoulders and reached out to gently tap Rory's arm with his fist. "You okay, kid?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, flashing him a grateful smile. "I'm just glad my sister will have a dad who's there for her."

"And for you," Luke promised.

"I know," Rory said. She tilted her head to the side, then asked her mom, "Where do you think newborn Lucas Danes slept as a newborn?" she asked.

"Oh, good question," Lorelai said, trying to lighten the mood. "I think they would have put him in the front. In my experience, they put the prettiest babies in the front."

Luke shook his head. "Somehow, I think you'll change your opinion if Victoria ends up in the back," he commented.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Not going to happen, she's perfect," she said. "Plus, I plan on slipping the nurses a nice crisp Ben Franklin so she's front and center."

"Thanks for the warning," Luke muttered. "I'll put a hold on your ATM card."

"Damn, I should have thought that through," Lorelai said with a disappointed sigh. She turned to Rory and asked, "So which one of those kids do you think is the ugliest?"

XXXXX

The following evening, Luke sighed as he walked into the kitchen. Noticing April seated at the kitchen table with books and papers spread out in front of her, he asked, "Hey, kid, how's the studying going?"

"No time for conversations until my 9:30 break," April said, her tone annoyed.

"Sorry," Luke said, pulling some milk and butter out of the fridge. He moved to the pantry and began pulling various baking goods out, noticing April tapping her pen against her notebook in irritation.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"I thought you weren't allowed to converse."

"Dad!"

"Okay, sorry," Luke said again. "I was going to make cookies."

"I have my Latin exam tomorrow!" April cried. "And you're _baking cookies?"_

"Got it, cookies can wait," he said, returning the items to their rightful place. He pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and walked past the table. As he did so, he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of April's head. "Don't work too hard."

"Dad, seriously," April said, erasing at the paper vigorously. "Now I have to work through my 8:15 bathroom break!"

Sensing that his presence was officially no longer tolerated, Luke retreated to the living room where Rory was curled up on the couch. Casablanca was playing on the television, and she offered him a smile as he sat down beside her.

"How's our patient?" she asked.

"Finally asleep," Luke said. "Thanks for the bell, by the way, that's made my life a lot easier over the past couple days."

Rory looked at him innocently. "I didn't think she'd actually _use_ it," she tried to explain.

Luke shot her a dubious look. "We both know that's not true," he said.

"Okay, but isn't it worth it to see her excited?" Rory asked.

With a frustrated sigh, Luke commented, "If it suddenly disappears, it's because I've finally trained Paul Anka to hoard something besides shoes," he informed her.

"Got it," Rory nodded. She turned back to the screen, and a moment later the sound of a bell ringing came from upstairs. Rory looked at him with a smirk and said, "Good luck, Daddy Luke."

With a sigh, Luke pushed himself off of the couch and walked upstairs. Inside his bedroom, he was met with the sight of Lorelai, propped up against the pillows with a pout. "You rang?" he said sarcastically.

"I'm bored!" Lorelai announced.

"So watch TV," Luke shrugged. "Casablanca's on, Rory's watching it downstairs."

"Oh, downstairs!" Lorelai exclaimed, pushing the covers to the side.

"What are you doing?" Luke frowned.

"Going downstairs," Lorelai explained as if it were obvious.

"Was there a _reason_ you made me come up here?" Luke asked.

"Yes," Lorelai confirmed.

"Are you going to share?"

"To see how red your face would get when I told you I want to go downstairs," Lorelai replied with an innocent smile.

Luke laced his fingers together on top of his head and let out a frustrated breath. "You're supposed to be taking it easy," he reminded her.

"And walking downstairs is perfectly within the boundaries of taking it easy," Lorelai replied.

"So you called me up here to tell me you're going downstairs," Luke replied.

"Yup."

"You remember the boy who cried wolf?" Luke asked. "One day you're going to ring that ridiculous bell when you actually _need_ something and I'm going to ignore you."

"Nice try, but we both know you'll be up here in a heartbeat every time," Lorelai replied, patting his chest on her way to the door. "It's the concerned husband and father in you."

Luke scowled, knowing that there was no way to argue her point. She knew how much power she held over him, and he knew she was taking advantage of it. He was also aware that this would happen for the rest of his life.

He followed her down the stairs, biting his lip as he fought the urge to ask if she was okay. Lorelai had agreed to stop working and was indeed moving more slowly, but she still hated being treated like an invalid. Luke could understand her frustration; she was completely capable of walking down the stairs without help. But their overnight stay in the hospital earlier that week was still fresh in his mind, and his worry had increased exponentially when he'd heard Sookie tell him that Lorelai was on her way to the hospital.

Lorelai beamed as she walked into the living room. "My jailor finally let me out of my prison!" she announced to Rory.

"Would you just sit down?" Luke asked in an irritated tone as he sat down on the couch.

"But he's still bossing me around," Lorelai sighed as Luke helped her sit down.

"It must be payback," Rory said.

"For what?"

"All the times you made him close the diner or fix the house," Rory replied.

Lorelai frowned. "I didn't _make_ him do anything," she said. "I was just charming and persistent."

"Persistently exasperating," Luke muttered from her other side.

"Hush, you," Lorelai said. Turning to Rory, she requested, "Tell me what's going on."

"I'm trying to watch a movie, but you two won't stop talking," Rory said. "Clearly all the movie night rules have gone by the wayside."

"Rory, come on, I'm bored!" Lorelai cried. "What's happening around town? Any good gossip?"

"Well, Kirk broke his leg during the first freeze of the lake," Rory reported.

"What?" Lorelai gasped. "How did that happen?"

"He decided he wanted to try out for the Olympics," Rory replied. "What he didn't realize was that a Dirty Dancing move, while challenging on dry land, is pretty much impossible on ice skates. He's been on crutches for two days."

"Good thing that didn't happen during your first ice skating adventure," Lorelai commented. "I'd never have gotten you back out there."

"You're the one who abandoned me because, and I quote, you didn't want your kid 'slowing you down.' Good thing Luke was there to help me."

Luke offered her a smile. "Couldn't let you fall," he said with a shrug.

Lorelai smiled as she allowed herself to get lost in the memory of the first day the three of them had all spent together.

" _I give you the home of the greatest pancakes you will ever consume," Lorelai announced as she led ten year old Rory into the diner for the first time. "And, when you're ready, the greatest coffee in the world."_

 _Rory smiled as she watched her mother gesture dramatically to the diner. She was obviously excited to share this with her, and Rory didn't want to tell her that she'd been coming to Luke's for pie after school for weeks now in fear of dampening Lorelai's excitement._

" _Let's sit," Lorelai said as she pointed to a table. She helped Rory shrug out of her coat, then sat down in front of her. "Duke!" she called as Luke appeared beside them with a coffeepot and a mug._

" _It's Luke," he said automatically as he began filling her cup. He glanced at Rory, his eyebrows raising in surprise._

" _This is my daughter," Lorelai said, in the tone she always did when introducing Rory. It was mostly filled with pride, but with a hint of challenge, as if daring anyone to comment on the small age gap between mother and daughter._

" _I'm Rory," Rory announced as she looked up at Luke, her eyes dancing._

" _Nice to meet you, Rory," Luke said, offering her a small wink before his face morphed back to his usual frown. Clearly they had an unspoken understanding that it was important to Lorelai she feel as if she was introducing them for the first time. He straightened and asked, "two burgers?"_

 _Lorelai's face faltered slightly, and she shook her head. "Just one, for the kid," she said and held up her mug. "And more of this."_

 _Luke looked at her carefully. "You sure?" he asked._

" _Yes, and if you don't hurry, I'll show you what happens when people withhold caffeine from me," Lorelai threatened._

" _Going," Luke nodded._

 _Lorelai watched him over her shoulder for a moment before she turned back to Rory. "So are you excited for your first ice skating trip?" she asked._

 _Rory nodded slowly. "A little," she said. "It's scary though."_

" _I know," Lorelai said. "It's okay to be both excited and scared. It's what keeps life interesting."_

" _What's that?" Luke asked as he appeared beside them, pouring Lorelai another cup of coffee._

" _Ice skating," Lorelai replied. She nodded towards Rory and added, "It's Rory's first time today."_

" _That right?" Luke asked, resting a hand on his hip as he turned to look at her._

" _Yeah," Rory nodded shyly._

" _Just make sure your skates are tight enough," Luke advised. "My first time on the ice I ended up with a twisted ankle."_

 _Both Lorelai's and Rory's eyes lit up. "You know how to ice skate?" Rory asked curiously._

" _Please tell me you have a frilly purple blouse you wear when you do," Lorelai chimed in._

" _I played hockey," Luke explained with a shrug. "Skating was the first step in learning that process."_

" _You should come with us!" Rory suggested._

" _Yeah, you could hold me over your head and skate around the pond," Lorelai added. "We'd totally have one up on Kirk."_

" _No."_

 _Lorelai waved a hand in the direction of the kitchen. "Then go be useful and feed Rory," she demanded._

 _Luke disappeared again, and Rory looked at Lorelai carefully. "You're not hungry?" she asked._

 _With a small smile, Lorelai shook her head. "Nah, I had some stuff at the inn," she said. "You'll love the burger though. It practically melts in your mouth."_

" _I don't think burgers are supposed to do that," Rory giggled._

" _They are when they have triple cheese," Lorelai said with a smile._

 _Two plates appeared in front of them, and Luke offered a terse, "Dig in."_

 _Lorelai's face turned to slight panic as she stared at the cheeseburger in front of her, and she grabbed his sleeve as he was turning to walk away. "I didn't order this," she reminded him._

 _Luke jerked a thumb towards the kitchen. "Mix up back there," he said. "Thought a guy wanted cheese, turned out he didn't. Figured you could use it."_

" _I don't need charity," Lorelai said, challenging him._

 _Crossing his arms over his chest, Luke stared her down. "I don't do charity," he responded. "Either you eat it or it gets thrown away. Choice is yours."_

 _Lorelai bit her lower lip as she glanced at Rory, who was already a quarter of the way into her own burger. She relaxed her posture and offered him a grateful smile. "Thanks," she said softly._

 _He shrugged as turned back to the counter. "It's not a big deal," he said dismissively._

 _Lorelai dug into her unexpected burger, grateful for something to eat. She'd wanted to spoil Rory today, but unfortunately moving expenses and actually having to pay a mortgage meant luxuries like eating out were pretty infrequent. Lorelai was used to surviving on coffee while Rory ate a full meal, but she was incredibly grateful for the delicious burger before she spent the afternoon teaching her daughter to ice skate._

" _Can I get you anything else?" Luke asked as he appeared to clear their plates half an hour later._

" _Yes, an afternoon ice skating," Lorelai replied without a beat._

" _No."_

 _Lorelai looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Why not?" she asked._

" _It will be so fun!" Rory exclaimed, her eyes matching her mother's. "Please, Luke, you can help teach me!"_

 _Wondering what the hell these girls were doing to him, Luke put his hands on his hips and let out a long frustrated breath. "Fine," he grumbled._

" _Yay!" both girls cried happily._

 _Taking their plates from the table, Luke requested, "Give me ten minutes." He dropped their dishes off in the kitchen, then informed Caesar he would be back for the dinner rush. After a quick trip upstairs to dig his old skates out of his closet, Luke stepped back behind the counter. He reached for two to go cups, filled one with coffee and the other with hot chocolate, then turned to Lorelai and Rory. Both girls were looking up at him with excited, anticipatory eyes, and he asked, "Are we going or what?"_

" _Going," Lorelai confirmed. "Get your coat, babe."_

 _Rory stood and slid into her coat, then accepted the hot chocolate from Luke. "Thanks!" she said._

" _No problem," he said with a shrug._

 _Lorelai accepted her own coffee with a nod. "Double thanks," she said as she took a long sip._

" _Have you lived in Stars Hollow your whole life?" Rory asked Luke as the trio set off towards the pond._

" _Most of it," Luke nodded._

" _Me too," Rory said. "Except for when I was a tiny baby, but I don't remember that."_

 _Luke noticed Lorelai tense slightly at the mention of Rory's infancy, but she took a long sip of coffee and then snapped back to her usual chipper self. "Yep, we like it here, don't we, sweets?"_

" _We love it here!" Rory agreed._

 _When they reached the lake, Lorelai settled onto one of the benches that the town had brought in to allow people to change into their skates. Luke watched Rory sit down beside her, and then hesitantly took a seat himself to change his own footwear._

" _Let's make sure your skates are tight enough," Lorelai said as she pulled Rory's feet into her lap._

" _Mom, that's too tight!" Rory insisted, but Lorelai didn't loosen the laces._

" _They'll give a little," she explained. "Ready?"_

 _Rory bit her lower lip as she glanced at the people already speeding across the pond. "I don't want to," she admitted._

" _Let's just give it a try," Lorelai requested. "I'm going with our without you, and I guarantee you'll have a lot more fun with me than watching me."_

 _Although Luke wasn't sure about this parenting technique, Rory seemed to accept her mother's statement and tentatively stood. She wobbled on the frozen ground and gripped Lorelai's arms tightly as they approached the lake._

" _Let me go first," Lorelai said, stepping onto the ice and gaining her own balance before she turned to Rory. "Okay, your turn."_

 _Rory was reluctant. "What if I fall through?"_

" _Luckily, all those people have been testing the ice all day." Lorelai gestured to the skaters on the pond._

" _Making it weaker for when I skate!"_

" _Honey, as much as I'd love to have all the hot water to myself, I'd never let you out here if I didn't think it was safe," Lorelai said with an encouraging smile._

 _Rory sighed as she watched a group of girls fly past Lorelai, giggling as they sailed across the ice. She had to admit that it did look fun. "Fine," she said. She grabbed onto Lorelai's arm and tentatively stepped onto the ice, sliding immediately. "It's slippery!"_

" _Here," Luke suddenly appeared beside Rory. "Take my arm too. We'll skate and drag you with us."_

 _Rory looked up at her mother for a moment, and at Lorelai's encouraging nod, she reached out to grasp Luke's arm tightly. She found her footing, and Luke and Lorelai both started to ease forward on the ice. Rory coasted between them, and a moment later a smile appeared on her face. "This is fun!" she exclaimed._

" _You ready to try to push forward?" Lorelai asked._

 _The fear returned to Rory's eyes, and her grip on both of their arms tightened. "Not yet," she said._

 _Recognizing that her daughter needed a bit of a push, Lorelai shrugged and pried her arm free. "Speak for yourself, but I'm not going to let you slow me down," she said. With that, she pushed herself forward and lifted one leg gracefully in the air. She held her arms out to either side for balance, and Luke was left standing with Rory, both of them staring after her in amazement._

" _Wow," Rory breathed. "I had no idea she could skate like that."_

 _Luke was equally amazed, but for completely different reasons. As Lorelai once again lifted a long leg into the air, he could see her jeans tightening in all the right places. With a quick shake of his head, he turned back to Rory and held out his free hand. "Guess it's just you and me," he said._

 _She looked up at him. "You'll help me?" she asked._

" _Of course," Luke said. "I won't let go until you're ready."_

" _Thanks," Rory said. She reached for his other hand, and he started to slowly pull her forward. "You can skate backwards?" she asked as he dragged her along the ice._

" _A pretty useful skill when playing defense," Luke nodded. "Keep holding onto me, but try putting one foot in front of the other, just like you're walking…. good, now push back and lift your other foot." He watched as Rory concentrated on the task at hand. She bit her lip as she concentrated, staring down at her feet and trusting Luke to guide her. "You're getting it," he assured her after a few moments._

" _Can I try it on my own?" Rory asked._

" _Sure," he said. "Ready?"_

 _She nodded, and he let her go before he skated to the side. "Just put one foot in front of the other," he reminded. "You're doing it, Rory!"_

" _I'm doing it!" she cried excitedly. She pushed forward a few more times, but her joy turned to fear when her arms began to flail. "I can't stop!" she yelled. "Luke, I can't stop!"_

 _Fighting off laughter at her adorable panic, Luke quickly caught up to her and intervened, allowing her to grab his arms once again. "That's the next lesson," he told her._

 _Lorelai skated up to them and smiled as she ran a hand over Rory's hat covered head. "Well, you're like a regular Nancy Kerrigan out there," she said._

" _Watch, Mom!" Rory cried. She pried her arms free from Luke and started to push forward. Luke, anticipating her alarm at being unable to stop, skated backwards a few paces ahead of her, holding his arms out in case her confidence faltered._

" _Wow, I haven't been this proud since the day you started walking!" Lorelai exclaimed. "Think of all the money we'll get going to the Olympics as the first mother/daughter duo!"_

" _You don't get paid for being in the Olympics," Rory called over her shoulder._

 _Lorelai gasped, skating along side Luke and Rory. "Then what are we doing out here?" she asked._

 _Rory smiled as she reached forward to grasp Luke's arm. She regained her balance, but didn't let go as she turned to her mother. "Making friends with Duke!" she said._

 _Lorelai laughed and Luke rolled his eyes. "It's Luke," he reminded her._

" _Whatever, Duke," she said. "Hey, kid, show Mommy what you can do!"_

 _Rory let go of Luke and tentatively began inching forward again. Lorelai remained beside Luke, both of them standing on the ice. "Thanks, Luke," she said softly._

 _He shrugged as he glanced at her. "She's hard to say no to," he said._

" _You've got that right," Lorelai said. "She's had me wrapped around her finger since the second she was born."_

" _With those eyes, not surprising," Luke said._

 _Lorelai tore her eyes from her daughter to look at Luke carefully. "Thanks for the burger, too," she said quietly._

" _Like I said, it was a mess up," he shrugged._

" _It wasn't, but I appreciate it," Lorelai said. "You're a good guy, Luke."_

 _He blushed and nodded towards Rory. "She needs a mom who's eaten," he said. "Of course, she also needs a mom who's not in a constant caffeine frenzy, but I don't see that happening."_

" _Nope," Lorelai said as she skated back towards Rory. "Think you can keep up with us, Duke?"_

 _He smiled as he raced across the pond and then cut back to them, skidding to a stop directly in front of a stunned Rory and impressed Lorelai. "I'll do what I can," he said with a smirk._

"Lorelai?"

She shook herself out of the memory as Luke gently tapped her knee with his fist. "Just thinking about that first day, ice skating," she said with a fond smile. "I thought I was going to have to treat my kid for a panic attack when I told her we had to go home."

Rory gave an embarrassed smile. "It was nice, having Luke around," she said.

"Yeah, life with him has been okay," Lorelai admitted.

Rory leaned around Lorelai to glance at Luke, who was offering them both a warm smile. "You know, I thought for like two weeks after that day that you two were dating."

Lorelai's jaw dropped and Luke narrowed his eyes as they both regarded her with surprise. "You _what?"_ Lorelai asked.

"I thought you were dating," Rory repeated.

"What gave you that idea?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, we were always the first one served at the diner," Rory pointed out. "And we were allowed in if it was closed. Plus, you flirted mercilessly with each other. Not that _that_ has ever stopped."

"We did not flirt!" Lorelai cried defensively. "Tell her we did not flirt!"

"Rory, believe me, there was nothing going on," Luke promised. "Your mother made me wait long enough."

She frowned. "You weren't exactly making the moves either," she pointed out.

"Yeah, I know, I'm an idiot, I should have just asked you out the first moment I saw you," Luke said with a dismissive hand wave. "You've told me."

Rory giggled from her end of the couch. "Think of all the money we would have saved on burgers and coffee and pie," she said to her mother.

"Hey, if you'd made that point fourteen years ago, I'd have done the asking out myself," Lorelai said.

"We should go ice skating again next year," Rory suggested. "We can bring Victoria."

"She'll barely be walking at that point," Luke informed her.

"So? She's got the best teacher in Stars Hollow," Rory countered.

Lorelai smiled as she ran a hand over her stomach. "What do you think, baby girl?" she murmured. "Want Daddy to teach you to ice skate?"

"I'll teach her whatever she wants me to," Luke said.

"Anything cooking or sports related is totally your job," Lorelai nodded. "I'll keep the fashion advice and classic movie education for myself."

"Deal," Luke said with a nod. He nodded to Rory and said, "You and April can deal with the school stuff."

"We'd better," Rory muttered. "Otherwise she'll end up thinking Vogue is educational reading material and that changing a car's oil counts as a scientific experiment."

Lorelai turned to Luke. "She's mocking us."

"She's _your_ daughter."

"Hey, I resent that, Daddy Luke!" Rory said, offering him a pout.

He rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what was coming. "Please, tell me how you'll forgive me," he said sarcastically.

Rory pretended to think for a moment before she said, "Coffee and donuts."

Lorelai's eyes lit up. "You heard the girl, go!" she said, patting Luke's arm excitedly.

Luke leaned towards Lorelai's stomach and said, "Your mother is insane," before he stood and walked out of the room.

Turning to Rory, Lorelai asked, "Is it wrong that I take this much pleasure in annoying him?"

"Well, your relationship was built on a solid foundation of arguing and bantering," Rory speculated. "Sometimes it's good to revisit the old days."

"True," Lorelai nodded. "When did you get so smart?"

"Probably around the time I graduated from Yale," Rory mused.

Lorelai smiled as she pointed to the TV. "Now stop talking so we can watch the movie," she requested. Rory obeyed, turning back to the television. They'd watched this movie together hundreds of times over the years, but that somehow didn't take away from the sanctity of the moment for either mother or daughter.


	7. Chapter 7

**So I've finally dragged myself away from watching the trailer for the 853rd time to post this. The next three and a weeks can't go fast enough! Enjoy!**

* * *

Luke sighed as he walked across the town square, fully ready to be home after a long shift at the diner. He'd stayed through the dinner rush and had left the dessert and coffee crowd to be tended to by his staff. Since Lorelai's hospital stay two weeks before, Luke had been hesitant to leave her, and had only done so today because Rory and April had both promised to call him the second anything out of the ordinary occurred.

Luckily, no such phone call had occurred, and after the third time he'd called to check on her, Lorelai had informed him that if he called again she was going to put the chain lock on the front door that night. While Luke hadn't been entirely sure if she was joking or not, he hadn't been willing to risk it and had ceased his hourly check ins.

As he approached his house, he frowned slightly at the sight of Ethan's car parked behind Rory's on the street. Although he had to admit that Ethan was the kind of man he hoped Rory would end up with, Luke still didn't like the idea of his stepdaughter having someone so permanent in her life. He knew that she'd been very serious with Logan-serious enough to warrant a proposal-but even he could see the difference with Ethan. During the limited time he'd spent around Rory and Logan together, he'd seen the girl he loved like his own daughter become someone she wasn't, an odd hybrid of Emily Gilmore and herself. With Ethan, Luke could see the real Rory, determined and witty, without constantly checking herself to wonder whether she was doing the right thing. Luke turned back to look at their cars parked together on the street and felt a strange sense of irony as he observed how _natural_ the vehicles looked parked together. Not unlike his truck and Lorelai's new Jeep parked in the driveway.

Shaking his head slightly, Luke pushed the front door open and immediately felt a different kind of uneasiness when he saw Lorelai slowly making her way down the stairs, gripping the banister with one hand and a box in the other.

"Lorelai, what are you doing?" he asked, meeting her halfway up the stairs and taking the box out of her hands. "You're supposed to be taking it easy."

"Which is why I stopped sliding down the banister before you got here," Lorelai said, following him back down the stairs.

"Seriously, one of the girls or Ethan should have been doing this," Luke said. "What's in here, anyways?"

"Christmas decorations," Lorelai replied. "It's just the stockings, the entire box weighs like five pounds."

Luke sighed as he led her into the living room and placed the box on the coffee table. "Still, you've got to slow down," he said. "I'm glad you're feeling okay, but last time you felt fine until you didn't."

"Point taken," Lorelai said as she held up a hand with a solemn vow. "You can do all the decorating."

"Just what I wanted," Luke muttered as he pointed to the couch. "Sit."

"Okay, fine," Lorelai said, sitting down on the couch. "I'll get the stockings ready and you can hang them."

Luke nodded, then turned to take in the scene before him. While he'd been at work his living room had transformed into some sort of Christmas commercial, with the tree they'd set up the day before now housing lights and ornaments. Rory and April were seated on the floor in front of an open box containing more ornaments, and Ethan was at the tree, hanging a felt handprint as Rory looked on.

"Not there, further down," she instructed.

"The lighter ornaments should go on top," Ethan informed her.

"Why?"

"Because the stronger branches are on the bottom."

"So?"

"So they can hold the heavier ornaments better."

Rory casually fingered the tips of her hair before she tossed it over her shoulder. "It just looks so much better at the top," she said, her eyes wide as she looked at him.

Ethan inhaled sharply and shook his head. "Fine," he gave in, securing the ornament to the tree.

Rory looked over her shoulder with a proud smile. "How'd I do?" she asked Lorelai.

"Wonderfully," Lorelai said with a nod. "Be sure not to overuse the hair flip though. Then it loses its effectiveness."

"Noted," Rory said, then reached back into the box.

Luke shook his head as he sat down beside Lorelai on the couch. The exchange he'd just witnessed could have been himself and Lorelai, and it was reassuring to see that Rory had a man in her life who could keep up with the Gilmore ways. "Still going strong, are they?" he asked.

Lorelai watched as Ethan reached for another ornament from Rory, offering her a warm smile as he did so. "They are," she said. Rory called out another instruction to Ethan, who let out a long sigh but obeyed, turning to her with a façade of irritation. "They're us."

"Hopefully their road won't be as challenging as ours was," Luke murmured.

Resting her head on his shoulder, Lorelai replied, "Rory's always been better at making decisions than I am. Hopefully she'll be smarter in her reactionary behaviors."

"Hopefully he won't keep her out of major parts of his life," Luke added, pressing a kiss to the top of Lorelai's head.

Lorelai remained in the comfortable position for a moment before she straightened and opened the box on the table. "Stockings," she said. "But put this one up first."

Luke turned to see her holding out a red stocking, with gold lettering that spelled out their daughter's name in the center. The stocking matched his and April's, which had joined Lorelai and Rory's well worn stockings the year before. "You made her a stocking?" he asked.

"Of course," Lorelai nodded. "She goes after Paul Anka."

Luke frowned. "Our daughter comes after your _dog?"_ he asked.

" _Our_ dog," Lorelai corrected. "Stockings are arranged in order of birth, Luke, everyone knows that."

"Fine," he sighed. He took the stocking and hung it up on the far right, then proceeded to hang the rest of them, stepping back to examine the final result. _Luke, Lorelai, Rory, April, Paul Anka, Victoria._ "Look acceptable?" he asked Lorelai, who was also scrutinizing the mantel.

"Better than acceptable," Lorelai said. She smiled, then rubbed a hand over her stomach. "Victoria likes it too. She's dancing away in here."

Luke smiled, then asked, "Are you hungry?"

"Nope, your daughter is squashing all my organs," Lorelai said, making a face.

"Charming," Luke said dryly.

"It's true," April piped up from the floor. "It's a common misconception that a woman's stomach gets larger during pregnancy. It actually shrinks to accommodate the stretching of the uterus."

Sensing a pregnancy rant that could easily cross the line to inappropriate, Luke cleared his throat and requested, "April, can you help me hang the wreath?"

"Sure," she said, scrambling to her feet. She disappeared towards the front hall, and Luke looked down at Lorelai.

"You okay?" he asked.

Lorelai nodded. "Yup, me and my stretched out uterus are fine here with the old married couple over there," she said.

Luke shook his head as he watched Rory explain to Ethan why the fake snow had to be applied more heavily to the bottom of the living room windows. "Good luck," he said.

April was waiting on the porch for him, and he nodded towards the garage. "Can you get my toolbox while I get the wreath out of the truck?" he asked.

She stared at him blankly. "Your what?" she asked.

Knowing exactly what his daughter was doing but refusing to give in, Luke repeated, "My toolbox. It's on my workbench in the garage."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," April said, her face entirely serious.

Luke let out a long, frustrated breath, and through clenched teeth asked, "Could you get…Bert… from the garage?"

"Oh, Bert!" April said in recognition. She hurried off to the garage as Luke turned to his truck to retrieve the wreath.

"You're becoming more and more like your stepmother every day," he informed her when they met back at the front door.

"Are you trying to tell me you think that's a _bad_ thing?" April challenged him.

"Depends on the day," Luke said. He reached for a screwdriver and the wreath hook before he began securing it to the door. "We're going to miss you, kid."

"Me too," April said. She played with the wreath for a moment before she added, "It's weird, I've only really spent one Christmas with you, but…I don't know, it feels strange that it'll be just me and Mom. I feel horrible because I've barely seen her since I moved back here, but I'd almost rather just stay."

Luke finished tightening the screw he'd been working on and turned to look at her. During moments like this, he had to suppress the urge to tell his daughter he'd love nothing more than to keep her to himself for twelve years, just as Anna had. "I'd love you to stay," he said. "But your mom really misses you."

"I miss her too," April said. She picked at a pine needle and then looked up at him. "Will you make sure Victoria's not born until I get back?"

"That's the plan," Luke said.

"Thank you," April nodded. She smirked, then added, "Lorelai would probably find a way to make that your fault anyways."

Luke shook his head as he reached for the wreath. "She usually does," he confirmed.

XXXXX

"Hi, big brother!"

"Hey, Liz," Luke said tiredly as answered the front door two days later. He'd returned from dropping April off at the airport an hour earlier, and with Lorelai napping upstairs he was feeling a little down about his daughter's departure. "Hey, Henry," he said, addressing the baby in her arms.

"We just wanted to come see our favorite uncle," Liz said as she angled her son towards Luke.

"I can't babysit," Luke stated firmly, seeing right through his sister's attempts to make conversation.

"Please, Luke, I have to pick Jess up at the train station and TJ's still at ballet with Doula," Liz replied. "It's so cute that he wanted to take ballet with her, but that means he can't watch Henry."

"Why can't you bring him with you?" Luke asked.

"I could, but I want some time alone with my oldest baby," Liz replied. "Please, Luke, I'll only be an hour."

"Jess is an adult, can't he make it here on his own?" Luke asked.

Liz narrowed her eyes at him. "You're telling me that you'd make Rory or April take a bus from the train station?" she asked.

He couldn't argue with her, but he refused to give in. "Lorelai's sleeping," he said. "She needs all the rest she can get before our own kid interrupts her sleep."

"Luke, it's just an hour, two at the most," Liz insisted. "Please, it would really be helping me out."

"Then you should have called this morning," Luke said. "I'm not your automatic go to baby sitting service."

She ignored him and shoved Henry into his arms. "I have to go," she said. "I'll be back in an hour."

"Liz, I really don't think…"

"Thanks, big brother!" Liz called, already halfway to the street. "I'll pay you back once Victoria's born!"

Luke sighed as he looked down at his sleeping nephew. "Well, I guess it's a good thing you're here," he said. "Even this house has more sanity than yours." With a sigh, he made his way up the stairs and into Victoria's room. Glancing around, he noted that her crib was neatly made and waiting for an occupant, but a strange sense of entitlement came over Luke. He'd labored over the crib for weeks in preparation for his own child, and he didn't want another baby sleeping in it, at least not before Victoria did. He furrowed his brow for a moment before he remembered the fold up bassinet that Lorelai had stashed in the closet until they planned to put it in their bedroom when Victoria came home.

Just as he was wondering how he was going to unfold the bassinet and hold Henry at the same time, Rory walked into the room and raised her eyebrows in confusion. "You swipe a baby to practice?" she asked.

"Hey, Rory, perfect timing," Luke commented. "Liz just dropped Henry off for a bit. Could you hold him for a minute while I unfold the bassinet?"

Rory's eyes filled with panic, and she quickly reached for the closet. "I'll set up the bassinet," she offered, pulling the folded contraption out of the closet. She followed Luke's directions to set it up, then stepped back as she eyed the infant in Luke's arms. He gently bent over to deposit the sleeping baby into the bassinet.

"I think he's set," Luke murmured as he settled his nephew into the bassinet and pulled a blanket over him.

"Should you tell Mom he's here?" Rory asked, following Luke into the hallway and closing the door softly behind her.

Luke sighed as he glanced towards his closed bedroom door. "I'll leave her be for now," he said as they walked down the stairs. "She can hear about my insane sister when she wakes up."

"I'm going to go check on Ethan," Rory said as she headed towards the library, leaving her stepfather to retreat to the kitchen.

Luke began gathering the ingredients for Lorelai's favorite meal, hoping his mother's lasagna recipe would get her to actually eat more than peanut butter or marshmallows. The house was silent, and Luke tried very hard to _not_ think about what Rory and Ethan were or were not up to.

"So the strangest thing just happened," Lorelai's voice came as she entered the kitchen. "I woke up and decided to put some of the clothes we bought Victoria away in her dresser. I go into her room, and there's already a baby in there. So either I've forgotten giving birth and am just extraordinarily fat, or you have some 'splaining to do, Lucy."

"Apparently my sister thinks that we're just a free babysitting service," Luke informed her. "She had to go pick Jess up at the train station and dumped Henry on us."

"At least we're getting some practice," Lorelai pointed out. "You know, make mistakes with a kid that's not ours so we can be perfect parents when Victoria gets here."

"She didn't give me much of a choice," Luke grumbled. He stirred the sauce for a moment before he asked, "How's Rory doing with her whole baby aversion thing?"

"It's not a baby aversion, it's a pregnancy aversion," Lorelai corrected. "Probably perpetuated by me being a cautionary tale when she was growing up. And I think she's getting over it. She didn't pull away when Victoria was kicking this morning."

"You sure it's not babies too?" Luke asked.

Lorelai thought for a moment. "Pretty sure," she said. "She hasn't really been around babies, besides Lane's boys, but she seems to be okay with them. Why?"

"Well, I asked her to hold Henry so I could set up the bassinet," Luke explained. "She looked like you do when I ask you to stir the pancake batter."

"Huh," Lorelai said. She thought back over the years, but she couldn't remember Rory ever really holding a baby. She'd been away at college once Sookie's kids had been born, and Doula had arrived in the world during what Lorelai now referred to as the dark year. Rory had been at the hospital when Gigi had been born, but then hadn't had much contact until she was a toddler. "I guess she's never really held a baby that small. Maybe she's nervous about it. I'll talk to her."

"Thanks," Luke said with a smile.

"What are your big plans for dinner?" Lorelai sighed as she settled onto a stool.

"Lasagna," Luke said as he reached over to preheat the oven. "Made from scratch, just like Mama taught me."

"It's my favorite!" Lorelai sighed happily.

Luke smiled as he turned to face her. "That's why I keep the ingredients on hand," he confirmed.

"How can I thank you?" Lorelai asked. "Marry you?"

"Too late for that."

"Have your baby?"

Luke smirked and nodded towards her stomach. "Already done."

"Get dirty with you in the shower?"

"That will have to wait a bit."

"Kiss you?"

"That I'll accept."

"Well, get over here, Butch," she said with a smile.

Luke leaned down to kiss her gently, his hand moving through her hair. Lorelai sighed contentedly, running her hands over his stomach before she slid them around his waist and down into the back pockets of his jeans.

"We can't do anything," Lorelai murmured regretfully as she pulled back a few moments later.

"I know," Luke sighed, putting his hands on his hips as he stared at the ceiling. "I know."

"But we can make out a little," Lorelai sighed, clutching his shirt in her hands as she looked up at him hopefully. "Nothing wrong with that, right?"

"Nothing wrong with that at all," Luke replied before his mouth crashed onto hers again. She kissed him back eagerly, and a moment later she felt his tongue tracing the outline of her lips. She opened her mouth to grant him access, their tongues moving against each other in a dance long since perfected. Her hands gripped his flannel tightly in her fists, feeling the heat of his kisses spread throughout her entire body.

They continued to kiss gently for a few minutes, and Lorelai sighed contentedly as his hands moved up and down her arms.

"Are you serious right now?"

Lorelai pulled back from Luke when she heard her daughter's irritated voice and turned to see the younger couple framed in the doorway. Ethan's face was bright red, and Rory was scowling as she folded her arms across her chest. "Couldn't you at least try to do that in private?"

"I can't help it, my husband is a good kisser," Lorelai said with a sly smile. "Plus, this is our house. We can make out wherever we damn well want."

"You're already pregnant, shouldn't you be eating ice cream and pickles or something?" Rory asked. "Not doing dirty things where we prepare our food?"

"Honey, not all my cravings are for food," Lorelai informed her.

"Get used to this," Luke muttered to Ethan. "They seem to thrive on embarrassing me."

A loud wail from upstairs interrupted the conversation, and Luke immediately snapped to attention. "I'll get him," Luke said, brushing a hand over Lorelai's shoulder as he passed her.

"Thanks," Lorelai said. "I'd go, but by the time I reached the top of the stairs he'd probably chew off his own arm out of starvation."

Luke rolled his eyes and hurried towards the stairs.

"You know, it's bad enough that you two are all over each other in front of your kids," Rory informed Lorelai. "But we have a guest. Could you at least _try_ to control yourselves?"

"Okay, pot, stop accusing the kettle," Lorelai retorted. "Or I'll tell your precious Daddy Luke about you two 'enjoying your coffee' on the porch this morning."

"You promised you wouldn't tell Luke!" Rory cried, glancing at the doorway.

"You're not the only one who's made out on that porch swing," Lorelai informed her.

"Oh my god, stop!" Rory pleaded. "This is going to disturbing places."

Before Lorelai could respond, Luke reentered the kitchen with Henry cradled in his arms. The baby was squirming slightly, and his face was wet with tears.

"Hey, there, handsome man," Lorelai cooed as she took Henry from Luke's arms. In a stage whisper she added, "You're better looking than your uncle, but don't tell him I told you that."

"His diaper's dry, but he's still fussy," Luke said with a sigh.

"He's probably hungry," Lorelai sighed as she bounced slightly in attempts to comfort her nephew. "Did Liz send him with any bottles?"

"No, that would have required foresight on her part," Luke said with a frustrated sigh. "I'll run to the store and get some formula."

"No, there's some in the pantry," Lorelai informed him. "It was in the basket the Dragonfly employees gave me. I was going to throw it out, but then I figured I'd hang on to it in case of an emergency such as this."

"Got it," Luke said as he pulled the formula from the pantry and then opened the drawer they'd designated for baby supplies to pull out a bottle.

"Thanks, hon," Lorelai said. She glanced down at Henry, who fallen back asleep, then took in Rory's expression of wonder. "What's with you?" she asked.

"You and Luke are…real."

"It's good to know these holograms are finally realistic," Lorelai confirmed. "The real Luke and Lorelai are on a beach in Hawaii drinking tequila. And that Lorelai is skinny."

"I mean, you're like…really ready for Victoria to come," Rory replied. "You've got a routine and everything."

"Yes, Luke stole this baby for the sole reason of practicing routines such as these," Lorelai confirmed. She examined Rory closely and asked, "Do you want to hold him?"

"I don't know," Rory said nervously.

"Just sit down and hold your arms out," Lorelai said, standing and walking across the kitchen with Henry snuggled into his arms. She watched as Rory sat down and tentatively held her arms out, then gently handed the baby to her daughter. "Support his head."

Rory held Henry tightly in her arms, biting her lower lip in concentration as the baby automatically snuggled into her body warmth.

"See, it's not so scary, is it?" Lorelai asked as she stepped back.

"I guess not," Rory said, looking down at her cousin with curiosity.

"This could be your future," Luke muttered to Ethan from the stove.

"I hope so," Ethan admitted, and Luke couldn't help but notice the love struck way the younger man was looking at Rory.

Luke sighed as he peered into the saucepan where the formula was heating. "Make sure you talk to Lorelai," he said. "If you need to. It would mean a lot, to both of them."

"Not yet," Ethan said, his eyes fixed on Rory. "But…someday. Maybe."

"It's not so bad having another man around," Luke consented as he sealed the lid on the bottle.

With that, Luke brought the bottle over to the kitchen table, handing it to Rory and standing beside Lorelai as he watched his stepdaughter tentatively offer the bottle to her cousin.

XXXXX

Rory glanced down at her phone as it started to ring. She smiled as she saw who the caller was, then answered it and walked out of the living room, using the tone of voice she only used for Ethan, leaving Luke and Lorelai alone with It's a Wonderful Life.

Lorelai sighed as she snuggled into Luke's side. "Once upon a time, it was just her and me on Christmas," she said. "Now she's ditching me to talk to a boy on the phone."

"I still maintain she shouldn't be moving in with him," Luke muttered.

"You're not fooling anyone, Butch," Lorelai said, tapping his knee. "You like him. We can all tell. So you can put that protective daddy act away, because you're glad to have another guy around and you know it."

"Pleading the fifth," Luke sighed.

"Do you like your Christmas present?" Lorelai asked, angling her head to take in the baseball hat that was resting backwards on his head. "I figured since the old one was bordering on ten years old and starting to fall apart, it was time for a new one. I thought I'd keep the tradition alive."

Luke ran a hand over the newer hat that rested on his head. It was stiff, and the brim was still flat, the material scratchy. But it was a gift from Lorelai, just as his old one had been, and he had to admit it was time for a new one. "I love it," he confirmed. "It will be weird not to have the old one anymore though. It was with me for a long time."

"I remember when I saw you wearing it again, after we broke up," Lorelai whispered. "It was when I knew that you'd really forgiven me for everything."

Luke thought back to the moment Lorelai had given him his original blue hat, nearly ten years ago now. It had seen him through a lot, good and bad, and he'd worn it every day because it reminded him of her. He could remember ripping it off of his head and throwing it across the apartment in a fit of rage after she'd broken off the engagement. The hat had sat abandoned in the corner of apartment as he'd refused to touch it. He knew it was ridiculous, seeing as he slept in a bed he'd shared with her, worn flannels she'd cuddled up to him in, and served coffee in her favorite mug every day. But somehow the hat had symbolized more to him, and he'd purposely replaced it with a black one. Black was the color of mourning and regret, and it hadn't been a coincidence that he'd avoided another blue hat at all costs. He could still remember the moment he'd decided to wear the blue one again, deciding that he'd finally let go of the past. It had felt natural to wear it again, like everything was somehow easier now that he was again wearing the hat that had meant so much to him.

Snapping back into the present, Luke tightened his arm around Lorelai as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "It's a perfect gift," he assured her.

"I had a really good Christmas," Lorelai whispered.

"It's been a good day," Luke agreed.

"Our last big holiday before we have an infant," Lorelai said quietly.

"We've got an anniversary to celebrate before then too," Luke murmured into her hair.

"You're sure you're okay with having a PG anniversary?" Lorelai asked. "Because as much as I'd love to have an NC-17 one, that's totally not going to happen. This year at least."

Luke smiled softly. "I'll be fine," he said. "Especially given the reason it won't be dirty."

"It's your own fault anyway," Lorelai stated.

"How is it my fault?" Luke asked with a frown.

"You're the one who had to have your way with me on the kitchen table," Lorelai accused.

"You weren't complaining at the time," Luke reminded her with a smirk. "I believe the word 'begging' could even be used."

"Well, Luke, there will be very little begging and a lot of accusing in the delivery room," Lorelai informed him.

"I've got tough skin," Luke said.

"It's hard to believe it's been a year since we got married," Lorelai sighed.

Luke watched as she reached for his ring. "It doesn't feel weird anymore," he said. "Wearing it."

"You still like it?" Lorelai asked, turning the ring slightly.

"It keeps the other women away," Luke confirmed. "All except one."

"There's a woman hitting on you?" Lorelai frowned. "Whose ass do I need to kick?"

"She's actually very pretty," Luke said casually.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. "You think another woman is pretty?" she asked.

"Very," Luke nodded casually. "And a couple days ago, she even offered to have my baby."

Lorelai's jaw dropped. "Someone really said that?" she asked.

"Yep, and she wears the ring that matches mine," Luke added.

"Mean!" Lorelai cried, pulling away from him and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I was joking," Luke insisted.

"You know when is not a good time to pretend you think another woman is pretty?" Lorelai asked. "When your wife is pregnant and hormonal."

"I'm sorry, it was stupid," Luke said with a sigh.

"You're going to have to work very hard to make this up to me," Lorelai informed him.

"I'll tell you what Victoria's Christmas present is," Luke offered.

"We already know what she got," Lorelai countered. "The Giving Tree from Rory, a Periodic Table picture from April, and a blanket from us."

"No, _you_ made her a blanket," Luke countered, reaching to run his fingers over the green and pink blanket that Lorelai had knitted for Victoria. "She needed a present from me too."

Lorelai looked at him curiously, but refused to give in easily.

Luke reached for her hand and said, "You're going to like it."

Lorelai sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine, show me the present," she said, pretending to be uninterested.

"Come on, it's upstairs in her room," Luke said, standing and holding his hands out to her.

Lorelai sighed and held her her arms out to him. "Making me get up to see my present," she sighed. "Clearly I've taught you nothing."

"I think it will be worth it," Luke said as they walked towards the stairs.

"And just so you know, making me walk up the stairs is not making you gain any points back," Lorelai said as she placed a hand on her aching back.

"Noted," Luke said. He let her hold onto his arm as they climbed the stairs, then led her to the nursery and pushed the door open, stepping inside and then gesturing for her to precede him.

Lorelai followed him into the room and gasped at the new addition to their daughter's nursery. "Luke," she whispered. "I can't believe you did this."

Luke shrugged as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "It's not a big deal," he said.

Lorelai shook her head as she stepped closer to the polished wooden rocking chair that sat in the corner of the room. "It's beautiful," she said quietly.

"You said you wanted a rocking chair," Luke said. "I figured it would be a good gift."

Lorelai shook her head slightly. "I can't believe you remembered this," she said softly.

"Of course I remembered," Luke said.

Lorelai smiled as she ran her hand over the smooth wood. "Well, it's time for the true test," she said. "Shall I test its strength?"

"I think it'll be okay," Luke said.

"If it can hold me while I weigh more than an elephant, then it can hold anything."

Luke smiled as he held the chair steady as she lowered herself into it. "Feel okay?" he asked.

"I love it," Lorelai sighed as she rocked back and forth gently. "Thanks, Luke. She'll love it too."

Luke reached down to run a hand over her hair. "Everything is pretty well set for her," he said softly.

Lorelai nodded as she looked around the nursery. The crib was made with the ocean sheets Lorelai had made, a few stuffed animals already waiting for Victoria's arrival. The ultrasound pictures were hung above the crib, and her name was spelled above the crib in plush punk letters. The changing table was fully stocked with diapers, creams, and medicines, and the dresser was filled with onesies and clothes. The wall above the changing table was covered with pictures of their entire family, and Lorelai felt a sense of pride at how wonderfully the nursery had come together for their daughter.

"We have to pack the hospital bag," Lorelai commented.

"We've got time," Luke said firmly. "She's not due for almost a month."

"Yeah, but she really could be coming any day now," Lorelai reminded him gently. "We should be prepared."

Luke nodded and ran a hand over the back of his neck. "I know," he said. "We'll do it tomorrow."

Before Lorelai could respond, she spotted some movement in the hallway and called, "You can come in here, you know!"

Rory smiled shyly as she stepped into the room. "Is the rocking chair new?" she asked, taking in Lorelai's seat.

Lorelai smiled as she ran her hands over the smooth wooden arms of the chair. "Yep, it's Victoria's Christmas present," she confirmed.

"It's beautiful," Rory said before she turned to Luke. "Did you make it?"

"Yeah, I had some free time," Luke said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Don't be modest, hon, you did a beautiful job," Lorelai said with a smile up at Luke before she turned to Rory. "How's Ethan?"

"He's good," Rory confirmed. "I was thinking I might go to Boston for New Year's, if it's okay."

Lorelai gasped. "You mean you don't want to spend New Year's Eve in Stars Hollow, with me probably falling in front of the TV before nine?" she asked in pretend shock. She smiled, then said, "You should be having fun, Rory."

Rory smiled softly. "You're sure it's okay?" she asked.

Lorelai smiled. "Of course it's okay," she said. "You're twenty four. You should be spending New Year's Eve with your boyfriend and getting plastered."

Luke shot Lorelai a look. "Your mother means have fun but stay safe," he corrected.

"That too," Lorelai nodded. "Seriously, hon, you have an open door policy. You're welcome whenever you want to be here, but I'm not Emily Gilmore. You don't have to ask permission to go to Boston."

"Thanks," Rory said as she looked around the nursery. "It looks good in here," she said.

"It's come along well," Lorelai nodded.

"I like all the pictures," Rory commented as she stepped closer to the changing table to look at the pictures that Luke had hung at Lorelai's direction.

Lorelai smiled as she pushed herself out of her chair to join Rory in studying the pictures. "We worked hard on choosing them," she said softly. She reached out to tap a finger against the glass of one picture. "October 1984," she said with a smile. "First picture of you and me."

"Really?" Rory asked.

Lorelai nodded. "About twelve hours after you made your very dramatic appearance into the world," she said with a smile.

Rory smiled as she stepped closer to examine the picture. "I love this picture," she said.

"That's the first time I really got to hold you," Lorelai said softly. "I mean, after the drugs wore off, and when I could really look at you. It was the first moment in my life that I didn't feel completely alone, that I realized there was someone on my side. For a long time, it was just the two of us."

Rory looked over her shoulder to Luke and offered him a warm smile. "Look at us now, we've even convinced a boy to join us," she said.

Lorelai smiled as she followed Rory's gaze across the room and met her husband's gaze. "Bonus points for making it a cute one," she said.

XXXXX

"Just let me look at one more thing," Luke requested the following afternoon as he stood in front of Rory's car.

"I'm going to run into traffic," Rory complained, looking down at her watch.

Luke poked his head around the open hood of her car. "And it will take you twice as long if you're on the side of the road because your car didn't have enough coolant," he replied firmly before he leaned forward to examine something else under the hood.

"Mom!" Rory whined, looking over to where Lorelai was watching the scene unfold with an amused expression on her face.

"Okay, everything looks good," Luke said as he slammed the hood shut and moved closer to Lorelai and Rory.

"About time," Rory muttered.

"He's just trying to make sure you're safe," Lorelai reminded Rory as she pulled her into an embrace.

"I know," Rory sighed. "Make sure my sister doesn't arrive while I'm gone."

"I'll do my best," Lorelai promised.

"Thank you," Rory said, snuggling into her mother's embrace a little tighter.

"I love you, Rory," Lorelai whispered with an extra squeeze.

"Love you too, Mom," Rory said. She turned towards Luke and informed him, "If I get stuck in afternoon traffic, I'm calling to yell at you."

"I'll make sure your mother answers the phone."

Lorelai gasped, causing Rory to giggle and Luke to smile softly at her.

"You're on your own with her for a couple days," Rory said as she stepped forward to hug Luke. "I wish you well."

"Excuse me, why is everyone being so mean to the member of the family who is _growing a person?"_ Lorelai demanded from beside them.

"Bye!" Rory called cheerfully as she settled into the car and backed onto the road. Luke and Lorelai watched from the front yard as she drove away, Lorelai resting her head against Luke's shoulder with a sad smile.

"Well, we've officially got the house to ourselves for a night for the fist time since August," Lorelai said, turning to look at Luke. "The keg should be here in about an hour."

"I'll make sure Bono is on his way," Luke confirmed.

"You are so my favorite husband," she informed him as she looped her arms around his neck.

"Back at you," he looked down at her with an affectionate smile.

"I'm your favorite husband?" Lorelai teased. "I know I've lost my girlish figure, but I don't things have changed that much."

Shaking his head slightly, Luke leaned down to kiss her. "Let's get you inside," he suggested a moment later, noticing her shiver against him.

Lorelai smiled as they walked into the house. "Seriously, what should we do, just the two of us, rattling around this big old house all alone?" she asked.

"I have plans," Luke replied.

"Plans?" Lorelai repeated.

"Yep."

"Do I get to know what these plans entail?" Lorelai asked.

"Bubble bath, if you're interested," Luke said. "Dinner and Casablanca."

Lorelai tilted her head to the side. "What about you?" she asked.

"Same as you, at least for dinner and the movie," Luke said.

"Not interested in the bath unless there's dirty stuff involved, are you?" Lorelai asked, her gaze playful.

"It's not that, I just figured that I'd cook while you relaxed," Luke said. "Fresh food after you get out of the tub?"

"That does sound pretty perfect," Lorelai admitted. "Is it okay if we push your plans back a bit? If I nap for an hour or so now, maybe I'll be able to stay up past nine o'clock and enjoy our anniversary."

"Sure," Luke said. He ran a hand down her arm and kissed her forehead. "You feeling okay? Besides being tired?"

"I am," Lorelai said. "I promise the second anything feels remotely not right, you'll be the first to know."

"Okay," he said. "Go nap, I'll draw you a bath when you wake up."

"I knew there was a reason I married you," Lorelai said with a sigh. She headed towards the stairs, placing one hand on her aching back as she used the other to brace herself on the railing. She knew it was important that the baby not be born too early, but she had to admit that she was ready to be done with this whole pregnancy thing. She couldn't wait for the day until she could walk up the stairs in thirty seconds again.

An hour and a half later, Lorelai felt herself slowly drifting into consciousness. She sighed happily as she snuggled deeper into the covers, knowing without opening her eyes that Luke was there. His body warmth radiated towards her, and she silently reached out a hand. She smiled when she felt him take it, his fingers tracing over her palm before he laced them through hers.

When she finally opened her eyes, she saw that Luke was sitting up in bed, their scrapbook spread out on his lap. She ran her thumb over his wedding ring as she watched him study the page carefully, feeling a smile tugging across her lips as she saw the affectionate expression on his face.

"Hey," she whispered, turning her head to press a kiss to his hand. "Where are you?"

He turned to smile at her before nodding towards the book. "First snow," he said.

"Which year?" she giggled.

"November 2003," Luke murmured.

Lorelai smiled. It had been her first snow without Rory, who was in a finals induced seclusion during her first year at Yale. Although Luke had technically been married to Nicole at the time, he'd kept the diner open late for Lorelai to watch the snow fall over the gazebo. Though they didn't have a picture to commemorate the moment, Lorelai had included a picture of the town square from the paper the following morning. Underneath it, she'd written, "Thanks for always being there."

"That was a hard year," she whispered. "With Rory being at Yale, I had to adjust to being me without her. You helped a lot with that."

"I didn't do anything," he shrugged.

"Yes, you did," she replied. "You knew I was missing Rory, and you were there for me. Just like when she left for real."

"Not _just_ like it," Luke said.

"No, I guess not," Lorelai agreed. "But I appreciated it just the same."

"I'm glad," Luke said. He turned the page and saw a picture from the two of them at the Firelight Festival that year. He'd given her the earrings Liz had made, and she'd fastened them into her ears before they'd posed for a picture for Kirk's latest project. Luke ran a hand over Lorelai's image and muttered, "It's hard to believe I was married to someone else. It feels like a million years ago."

"I know," Lorelai whispered. She couldn't believe she'd spent that year dating Jason Stiles. What the hell had she been thinking?

Luke turned the page and shook his head as he saw a sketch she'd drawn of them breaking the bells later that winter. "I still can't believe you helped me with that," he commented.

"I still can't believe you were the one to break them in the first place," Lorelai replied.

"I had help," Luke shrugged.

"Really?" Lorelai asked. "Who?"

"Just some guys from the track team," Luke shrugged. "They'd moved by the time you got here."

"Oh," Lorelai nodded. "That was when you were trying to convince yourself that you'd moved."

"We don't have to go through this again," Luke murmured.

"Okay," Lorelai said. She could tell he was only in the mood to talk about happy memories, and turned the page to point at an advertisement for the Dragonfly Inn's test run. "No turning back after that," she commented.

"You were so beautiful that night," Luke said. "You were so proud of the inn, and you should have been. But I just remember thinking how…perfect you were. How I could _feel_ that things were different with us, and I loved it."'

"Me too," Lorelai whispered. "I can still feel the tingles I felt when you kissed me."

With a smile, Luke turned to look at her. "Tingles, huh?" he asked.

"Yep," she nodded confidently. She twisted his ring around his finger, concentrating on the task before she said, "I still get them."

"Good," Luke said. He squeezed her hand and said, "I hope you always do."

A playful glimmer came to Lorelai's eyes and she commented, "Well, Cool Hand, I think it's a very distinct possibility."

They continued to look through the scrapbook together, laughing about the more comical moments, such as when Kirk had dressed up as the town whore, and tenderly discuss the more emotional moments, like the previous Thanksgiving, when they'd first spent time together as a family.

When Luke finally turned past the previous Thanksgiving's page to a blank one, Lorelai nodded towards it. "That's her page," she said. "Next big event is Victoria."

Luke smiled as he ran a hand tenderly over her stomach. "I can't wait," he murmured.

"Me neither," Lorelai sighed. She watched as he closed the scrapbook and set it on his nightstand before he turned back to her. He carefully and gently ran his hands over her stomach, his eyes full of thought. Lorelai could tell he needed a moment and allowed him to have it, loving the way his touch sent tingles through her body.

"Is she asleep?" Luke murmured after a long moment.

"I think so," Lorelai said, offering him a regretful smile. "Sorry."

"Not your fault," he murmured. "In a couple months we'll probably be begging her to sleep."

Lorelai smiled as she ran a loving hand over his cheek. "I love that I get to see this side of you," she murmured. "The sweet, demonstrative side. Five years ago, if anyone told me that you'd be the kind of man to do this, I'd have thought they were insane."

"I probably would have too," Luke admitted. "I didn't get this with April, and we don't know if we will again. This could be our only shot, and I don't want to miss out on anything."

"Me neither," Lorelai whispered. "We, um, haven't talked much about what happens in the delivery room."

Luke raised his head to look at her. "I'm pretty sure we leave there with a baby," he said.

Lorelai smiled, but shook her head. "All joking aside, Luke, it's not pretty," she murmured. "I know your aversion to all that stuff, so if you don't think you can handle it…"

"Stop," he said firmly. "I'll be there, Lorelai, I promise. Every step of the way."

"I know you want to be there when she's born, but I'm just saying, if the contractions and the dilating are too much, you can come in at the end," Lorelai offered.

"Lorelai, _stop,"_ he said, his voice firmer this time. "There's no way in hell I'm leaving you alone to give birth."

She smiled softly at him. "You're sure?" she asked.

"Positive," he nodded. "She's my daughter too. I don't know how much help I'll be, but I want to be there. I _will_ be there."

"Okay," Lorelai nodded. She was quiet for a moment before she said, "She's big."

Luke could see fear lingering in Lorelai's eyes, and pulled a hand away from her stomach to brush her hair out of her face. "Are you nervous?" he asked. "About giving birth?"

She let out a huff of air. "Sometimes I wish you didn't know me so well," she murmured.

"I've got x-ray vision on those walls you put up," Luke stated.

Lorelai smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Aren't you just a regular Superman," she commented.

"Answer the question," he requested gently.

"Kind of," Lorelai admitted.

Surprise and concern came across Luke's face. "Everything went okay with Rory, didn't it?" he asked.

"Well, yeah, but I was terrified then too," Lorelai said. "I was a kid."

"Okay, but now you're not," Luke said. "Talk to me, Lorelai."

She sighed and played with the end of the blanket covering her, separating her from Luke, who was spread out above the comforter. "You were there at the hospital," she said. "She's big, which means it could be a difficult birth. A lot could go wrong."

"And a lot will go right," Luke said. "They're good doctors, they know what they're doing."

"Even the best doctors can't prevent bad things from happening," Lorelai said. She debated whether she should elaborate, then whispered, "You know that better than anyone."

Luke sighed as he flopped onto his back and stared at the ceiling. He shoved aside images of his mother slumped over the steering wheel of her car and his father surrounded by useless medical equipment before he turned to her. "I do," he admitted. "But I can't even think about that. It's too much."

"I know," she sighed. "Do you remember last spring? When you talked to me about being April's guardian? You said it was morbid but we had to talk about it."

"Lorelai…"

"I'm serious, Luke," she said. "If something happens, if she and I…if there's a choice, promise me you'll choose her."

"Lorelai…"

"Promise me."

He turned to look at her, noting the tears filling her eyes and the determination behind them. "Nothing's going to happen to you," he said. "It can't."

"Luke, please," she said.

"I don't want to talk about this."

"Then promise me so the conversation can be over," Lorelai said.

Luke reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, shaking his head slightly. "Fine," he said. He looked at her closely and said, "As long as you promise me you won't wait until the last second if something doesn't feel right."

"Deal," Lorelai said. "Depressing talk over."

"Thank god," Luke replied. He leaned in to kiss her, murmuring against her lips, "I love you, beautiful girl."

"I love you too," she smiled, cupping his cheek in her hand.

"And I love you," Luke murmured, scooting down on the bed so he was eye level with her swollen abdomen. As he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to the bump through the blankets, Lorelai felt a swift kick. Luke pulled back with a surprised expression, and Lorelai giggled as she rubbed his arm. "Guess she doesn't want kisses yet," he muttered.

"Quite the opposite, I think," Lorelai said. "I think she recognizes your voice."

He shrugged self consciously. "Yeah, well…you know."

Lorelai laughed. "Very well said, hon."

"She's awake now, huh?" Luke asked, feeling a steady stream of movement under his palm.

"And wanting Mommy to move too," Lorelai sighed. "Ugh, I was so comfortable."

"Want to get up?" Luke asked. "Or just turn over?"

Lorelai made a face. "I can't wait to be able to do things like get out of bed without help anymore," she said.

Sensing that she was in a playful mood, Luke stood and reached for her hands, letting out a dramatic groan as he helped pull her to her feet. "Good thing I'm in shape," he muttered.

"Mean!" Lorelai gasped as she stood. "That is no way to treat the mother of your child."

"Just calling it like I see it," Luke shrugged.

"Doubly mean!" Lorelai cried. "You're going to make it up to me by making sure I get pie."

"I've got apple, blueberry, and pumpkin waiting downstairs," Luke confirmed.

"You're forgiven," Lorelai sighed happily. She followed him down the stairs and into the kitchen, settling herself onto a stool as she watched him cut her a piece of pie. "That's it?" she asked with a frown.

Luke sighed and cut her a larger slice. "Here's your sugar coma on a plate," he grumbled.

"Bring me the whipped cream," Lorelai said happily.

As he turned to the fridge, he commented, "She still needs a middle name."

Lorelai swallowed the bite of pie she'd been chewing and placed her fork on her plate. "I've been thinking about that," she said.

"Yeah?" Luke asked, setting the whipped cream in front of her and moving to sit on the stool beside hers. "What are you thinking?"

She was silent for a moment as she dragged her fork through the pie, stabbing at a piece of apple and pushing it around the plate. "There was a time I never thought we'd get here," she admitted quietly.

Knowing that she'd get to the point eventually, Luke tilted his head to the side and waited for her to continue.

"We fought through it, and we've been married for a year," Lorelai said. "Breaking both our previous records combined."

Luke stilled her hand and pulled it towards him, pressing a kiss to the back of it before he let it go. "It's been a good year," he commented.

"It has," Lorelai agreed. "I know we both worked really hard on sorting out what went wrong and how we can prevent ourselves and each other from making those same mistakes again. But I also don't know that we'd be here, if Victoria would even exist, if it wasn't for Abby's help."

Starting to understand where Lorelai was going, Luke nodded slightly. "She gave us a safe zone," he agreed. "Kept us in check so we could keep things in perspective."

"It's not even just us," Lorelai said. "You know how much baggage I had, Luke. Growing up in the environment I did, and then having Rory. I let my parents and Christopher have so much hold over me for so many years, and it was Abby who helped me work through all of that, to accept all of my insecurities and let go of them."

"You've grown a lot," Luke acknowledged.

"We both have," Lorelai said. "I want Victoria's middle name to be Abigail."

Luke smiled softly. "Victoria Abigail," he murmured. "It's pretty."

"She'll have the longest name in her kindergarten class," Lorelai said. "Victoria Abigail Danes."

"Gilmore Danes."

Lorelai looked up at him with surprised eyes. "We don't have to include Gilmore," she said.

"I want to."

"Really?"

"Of course," Luke said. "You had that name for a long time. I fell in love with a Gilmore. We should honor that."

"Victoria Abigail Gilmore Danes," Lorelai said. "She's going to have to ask for extra space on her driver's license."

"Well, she is your daughter, so it's only appropriate that her name takes a lot of effort to say," Luke replied.

"And you think that being your wife is so easy all the time?" Lorelai asked. "Between eating all the food you make me and hanging out in the rocking chair you built me, I'm almost too exhausted to sex you up at night. Not that there's been much of that happening lately."

"We've got a good reason why," Luke said.

"So we're agreed?" Lorelai asked. "Victoria Abigail?"

"Agreed," Luke said.

Lorelai nodded. "Rory's the only one who knows about Abby," she said. "Unless you told April…"

"Nah, there didn't seem any reason to," Luke shrugged. "We'll just tell people we like the name."

"Good," Lorelai said with a grateful smile. "Now stop talking so I can eat my pie."

Luke shook his head and stood. "What's next on the anniversary to do list?" he asked.

Lorelai chewed slowly as she contemplated his question. "Let's go for a walk," she suggested. Luke immediately opened his mouth to protest, but she shook her head. "I'm not suggesting we run a marathon. Lord knows I'll never do that even when I'm not pregnant anymore. Just a stroll through town."

"You're supposed to be relaxing," Luke reminded her.

"The doctor said small amounts of light activity are okay," Lorelai said. "I feel like I've been in this house for years. Please, Luke, just a walk around town square, you and me. She likes when I'm active."

Luke sighed. "Fine," he said. "Just around town."

"Thank you," Lorelai sighed happily. "Now, go be a dutiful husband and bring me my shoes from upstairs."

"I think you're confusing me with the dog."

"Nope, just don't want to walk upstairs," Lorelai confessed.

"So now I'm your servant?"

"If you didn't want to wait on me hand and foot, you shouldn't have knocked me up," Lorelai shrugged. "I'm growing a human here, the least you can do is bring me my shoes."

"Alright, guilt trip has officially been acknowledged," Luke sighed. "Need anything else while I'm up there?"

"Nope, just my shoes," Lorelai said. "The boots with the fleece inside. They're warm and comfortable."

"You got it," Luke nodded. "I'll be right back."

"Thanks, Luke," Lorelai sighed. She finished her pie and then carried the plate to the sink, rinsing it quickly before she slid it into the dishwasher. She reached for Paul Anka's leash, then called the dog to the front hall so she could secure him. "Want to go for a walk with Mommy and Daddy?" she murmured as she ran a hand over his back. "We're trying to keep your sister calm so she doesn't completely destroy all of Mommy's organs."

Paul Anka whined in sympathy and reached his paw out to gently swipe at her leg.

"I knew you'd understand," Lorelai commented. Her eyes moved to Luke, who was heading down the stairs and smiled. "How much do you feel like Prince Charming?"

Luke sighed and sat down on the end of the steps. "Come here, Cinderella."

Lorelai giggled as she walked towards him. She braced herself on the wall as he helped her slide her boots on. "You're being a very doting husband, and it's appreciated," she said. "Eventually I'll be able to do this on my own again."

"If I know you like I think I do, you'll still try to make me do it," Luke muttered.

"I hadn't thought of that, but good idea," Lorelai said with a nod. "Thanks, hon."

"Your majesty," Luke said sarcastically as he held out her pink coat for her.

"Doesn't button anymore," Lorelai sighed. She ran her fingers over the soft material of her favorite coat and said, "Don't worry, you'll get plenty of wear during the second half of winter."

"Which one do you want to wear?" Luke asked.

"Hmm, decisions, decisions…"

"I'm going to take the dog and leave without you."

Lorelai scoffed as she reached for her puffy blue coat. She couldn't remember the last time she'd actually worn it, but she'd insisted on keeping it when they'd moved. Luke had battled her, but she could tell by the expression on his face that he was fully expecting her to remind him of that particular argument. She decided to give him a break as she zipped the coat, making a face as she felt how tight the coat was around her body.

"Ready?" Luke asked as he zipped his own coat.

"Ready," Lorelai confirmed. They walked into the crisp December air, and Lorelai inhaled deeply. "I wish it would snow."

"Maybe we'll get some for New Year's," Luke said.

"Maybe," Lorelai said. "You know, Rory was born in a freak snow storm."

"I remember," Luke nodded. "April was too."

Lorelai turned to look at him in surprise. "Really?" she asked. "I don't think I've ever heard her story."

"I don't know much," Luke shrugged. "She told me once that Anna went into labor in the middle of the last blizzard of the year. Kind of the opposite of Rory, it was pretty late in the winter."

"Huh," Lorelai said. She frowned and said, "We'd better not be snowed in when I go into labor. I need to get the drugs."

Luke let out a stressed breath. "Like I'm not already nervous enough," he muttered. "Thanks for adding that to my list of things to worry about."

"Sorry," Lorelai said. "Hopefully she'll give us enough time to get to the hospital before she decides to fight her way out."

"God, I hope so," he muttered. They approached the gazebo, and he reached out to take her hand. "Want to sit?"

She shot him a sideways glare and asked, "Are you just trying to get me to take a break?"

"No," he said. "Really," he added when he saw her doubtful stare.

"Uh huh," Lorelai said. "You expect me to believe that you just want me to sit with me in the gazebo for no reason?"

"You're telling me you don't want to spend some time watching the town on our anniversary?" Luke asked. "You don't think it would be the tiniest bit romantic?"

"Ugh, I hate how well you know me," Lorelai sighed. She tugged on Paul Anka's leash. "Come on, baby, Daddy wants to snuggle."

"I don't snuggle."

"Oh, right, we're in public," Lorelai said. "I forgot, you've got a reputation to uphold."

Luke nodded. "Can't have people thinking I've got soft," he said.

As Lorelai opened her mouth to say what he was sure would have been a dirty comment, they heard her name being screamed across the town square. "Hi, Babette," Lorelai said cheerfully as she turned to see her former neighbor charging towards them.

"Hiya, doll," Babette said, reaching out to rub Lorelai's stomach. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I swallowed a watermelon," Lorelai replied.

"Well, you look fantastic!" Babette said. Turning to Luke, she said, "I hope you're taking good care of our girls."

He nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Trying to."

"He's doing a wonderful job," Lorelai said, running her hand over his arm. "How are you, Babette?"

"I'm good," Babette nodded. "I gotta tell you, though, me and Morey sure miss having you as neighbors. I know it's been awhile, but I don't think I'll ever get used to you not being there."

"We miss you too," Lorelai said with a warm smile. "You guys should come over for dinner sometime after the baby comes."

"Oh, we'd love that," Babette nodded. "Listen, Patty and I were thinking of having your shower next week."

"My what?" Lorelai asked.

"Your baby shower," Babette said. "What do you think?"

Lorelai beamed. "I think that we would both love being the center of attention," she confirmed.

"Speak for yourself," Luke muttered in her ear.

"Not you and me we, me and her we," Lorelai confirmed. "Just tell me when, and I'll be there. You know, unless I'm in the midst of creating a human."

"Got it," Babette nodded. She glanced down at Paul Anka and shook her head. "Look at you two, strolling through town with your dog, ready to bring a kid into the world. After all this time, it's so good to see."

"Thanks, Babette," Lorelai said. "Let me know if I can do anything for the party."

"You don't need to do anything but show up and open presents," Babette confirmed.

"Oh how well this town knows me," Lorelai confirmed.

Babette patted Lorelai's stomach. "We've been waiting for this kid for a long time," she said. "And man, with genes from you two, this kid is going to be gorgeous! You're going to have to chase 'em away with a shotgun, aren't you, Luke?"

"He prefers a Bop It," Lorelai explained.

Luke rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm. "We should get home," he said. "It was nice seeing you, Babette."

"You too, doll," Babette replied with an enthusiastic wave. "Bye!"

"We didn't get to sit!" Lorelai protested as Luke steered her back towards the house.

Luke wrapped his arm around her. "Just getting a little crowded," he said.

"I know, you don't like talking to people," Lorelai sighed. "She's right, you know, the entire town is going to want to see her as soon as she's born."

"Then we'll take a picture and post it in the window of the diner," Luke said. "She's our kid, they can mind their own damn business."

"Why don't you want to show her off?" Lorelai asked. "Come on, we can put her in a cute outfit and charge people five bucks to hold her."

"You really want to let _Kirk_ hold our baby?" Luke asked.

Lorelai grimaced. "Okay, point taken," she conceded. "But if we let them throw us a shower, we'll get lots of presents."

"We have everything we need," Luke countered.

"Then we'll return the gifts, keep the money, and put it in her college fund," Lorelai suggested. "Or, you know, finally install that coffeemaker on my side of the bed."

"Don't hold your breath."

Lorelai sighed as they walked up the steps to their porch. "Since you wouldn't let us sit at the gazebo, will you at least let us sit out here?" she asked.

"It's cold," Luke protested.

"I'll warm you up," Lorelai said, raising her eyebrows with a sly smile.

"I'm worried about _you."_

"Luckily for me, I have a husband who is extremely hot," Lorelai said.

He gestured to the porch swing and watched as she sat down. When she was settled, he sat down beside her and she leaned her head into his shoulder. "A year ago, we were getting married," he murmured.

Lorelai lifted his wrist to look at his watch. "Yup, I think it was just about now that we were making out under the chuppah," she agreed.

"It's been a busy year," Luke said.

"A good year," Lorelai said. "And in another year, we'll have a baby snuggled between us right about now."

"We already have a baby snuggled between us," Luke pointed out.

"True," Lorelai giggled. "But in a year I'll have my womanly figure back."

"And I'll be able to help take care of her," Luke stated.

Lorelai sighed happily as she moved closer to him. "I'm really glad you're my husband," she said.

"Yeah, you're a pretty good wife," he confirmed.

"Pretty good?" Lorelai raised her head to regard him carefully. "That's it?"

Luke brushed her hair out of her face and then traced his fingers over her cheek. "I take it back," he murmured. "You're a perfect wife."

Lorelai smiled widely before she leaned up to kiss him. "You're an okay husband," she whispered before she kissed him again.


	8. Chapter 8

**A little mid-week pick me up. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Luke, we're going to be late!" Lorelai called up the stairs as she leaned against the banister.

He glared at her as he walked down the stairs, pulling his coat on as he went. "Then you shouldn't have turned my alarm clock off this morning," he informed her. " _I_ would have been ready on time if I'd woken up when I was supposed to."

"I just wanted you to get some extra sleep," Lorelai defended. "You've been running yourself ragged over the past couple weeks, I'm starting to get worried."

"I'm fine," Luke brushed her off. He held her coat out and said, "I want to take a couple weeks off from the diner when Victoria's born, so I need to make sure everyone knows how to do inventory and ordering. But things will slow down soon."

"Um, no they won't," Lorelai said. "She's _way_ more work than cooking burgers."

"Probably, but I'll also _like_ taking care of her more than I like arguing with Kirk about why he has to pay tax on his food," Luke said.

Lorelai nodded. "Good point," she said. "You ready to go?"

Luke sighed. "We really have to do this?"

"Yes," she confirmed.

"Why?"

"Because I'm a thousand years pregnant, and there's a party where I get to sit, eat cake, and open presents," Lorelai replied.

"It's a lot of people," Luke said, holding the passenger door to her car open. "You're due in two weeks."

"I know, hon, but I'm feeling great," Lorelai confirmed. "You'll drop me off at the door to the Dragonfly, I'll walk to the library, and then I'll sit the entire time. I can either sit at home or sit at the inn. No work, I promise."

Luke rolled his eyes as he slid behind the wheel. "I'll believe that when I see it," he muttered.

"Like you're one to talk," Lorelai said. "Remember that time we tried to actually sit down and eat at the diner? You kept getting up to restack the coffee cups or organize the ketchup bottles."

"It wasn't that bad."

"Rory and April were keeping a running tally," Lorelai informed him.

Luke sighed. "What are the chances that Victoria will be the one girl in my life who doesn't enjoy driving me crazy?" he asked.

"Not good," Lorelai said. "But it's only because we love you."

"Of course."

"It is!" Lorelai insisted.

"I know," Luke stated, offering her a small smile. He pulled up to the Dragonfly and asked, "Are you really sure we have to do this?"

"Luke, it'll be fine," Lorelai said. "Sookie promised she'd make sure Patty and Babette made it very classy. It's not a typical shower, just a casual party. It's not even a strictly female thing, so you won't completely be engulfed in pink."

"If you start to get tired or anything you'll tell me right away?" Luke asked.

Lorelai smiled at his concern. She'd been getting tired more and more easily as she approached her due date, and she was incredibly grateful that Luke was willing to do pretty much anything to make her comfortable. She knew he was worried, and that knowledge squashed any annoyance she'd typically feel at his hovering.

"I'll tell you the second I want to go home," Lorelai confirmed. "On one condition."

"What's that?"

"That you'll chop of the hand of anyone who touches my stomach without permission," Lorelai said. "What is it about being pregnant that makes people think it's okay to just touch me?"

Luke shook his head. "I don't know, but I can see how it would be annoying," he said. "I'll protect you."

"Thank you." Lorelai tugged him closer and then kissed him gently. "Let's go get presents!"

With a deep breath, Luke walked around to her side and held the door open, helping her out of the car. As they were walking slowly up the steps to the Dragonfly, the door opened and Rory stepped onto the porch. "Hey, Mom," she said. "Hi, Luke."

"Hey, kid," Lorelai said with a smile. "Were you successful in making sure everything isn't too crazy?"

"I think you'll appreciate it," Rory nodded. "But, you both owe me."

"Why?" Luke asked.

"Kirk wanted to do his interpretive dance about childbirth so you'd both be prepared for the delivery room," Rory said with a scowl. "I had to watch it _twice_ before he accepted the fact that he is not going to be performing today."

Lorelai winced. "Okay, you're right, we'll figure out a way to erase that image from your brain," she said.

"Thank you," Rory said, stepping to the side. "People are still coming in, but it's pretty low key. You sit down, Mom, and we'll get you anything you need."

With a smile, Lorelai walked into the dining room and saw the elaborate spread of food Sookie had prepared. There was a table piled high with presents, and a small table in the corner housed a cake. The room wasn't over decorated, but the tables were adorned with small chalkboards that various townies had written well wishes upon for Luke and Lorelai. Various people were mingling amongst the food, and Lorelai smiled as she briefly flashed back to a similar setting, years ago, during the test run of the inn.

"It looks great, hon," Lorelai said.

"April's helping Sookie in the kitchen and Ethan's helping Michel with the guest book," Rory reported. "We have food and drinks over here, and we put an armchair by the present table so you'll be comfortable. Now you just sit down, we'll make sure you have anything you need."

Lorelai nodded slowly, but her eyes didn't match the smile on her face. "Okay," she said, her grip on Luke's hand tightening.

"Here, sit down," Luke said, looking at her carefully.

"Thanks," Lorelai said, letting out a soft breath as she settled into the chair. "I'm okay, Luke, my back's just hurting a bit."

"Okay," he said. "I'll get you something to eat."

"Thanks," Lorelai nodded. As he walked away, she saw Sookie walk out of the kitchen and offered her a smile. "Hey, thanks for all of this."

"No problem, sweetie," Sookie said, nudging Lorelai's arm. "I figured I'd take control from Babette and Patty to make it a little more…relaxed for you."

"It's much appreciated," Lorelai nodded.

"How are you feeling?" Sookie asked, sitting down in an adjacent chair.

Lorelai sighed. "Okay," she said. "Only two more weeks now, so she's running out of room."

"I remember those days," Sookie said sympathetically. "We've got everything under control, so you just sit back and relax."

"That's the plan," Lorelai nodded. She looked around the room and asked, "How is everything going here?"

Sookie shook her head as she stood. "Sorry, I'm on strict instructions to not discuss work with you," she said. "You're here as the guest of honor, not as the business owner."

Lorelai frowned. "You remember when you checked into a room upstairs when you were pregnant?" she asked.

"Yes, because _he,"_ Sookie pointed to Luke. "Wasn't straining the duck sauce properly. You have perfectly capable people at the front desk."

"I like Luke's cooking!" Lorelai defended her husband.

"Probably because you'd starve if I didn't cook for you," Luke said as he appeared beside her with a plate of food. She happily accepted it, and he ran an affectionate hand over her hair as she munched on a cookie. "Hi, Sookie."

"Hey, Luke," Sookie nodded. "How are you doing? Ready to be a dad again?"

Luke nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Just about," he confirmed.

Sookie smiled sympathetically. "Jackson was pretty nervous before Davey was born," she said. "If you want to talk to someone who's been in your shoes, he'd be happy to give you some advice."

"Uh, okay, thanks," Luke said, knowing he'd never take her up on the offer.

"Oh, Lorelai, dear, you look wonderful!" Patty exclaimed as she breezed over. The two women quickly fell into a banter filled conversation, and Luke shook his head as he made his way to the drinks, selecting a bottle of water for himself.

"Hello, Luke."

Luke squared his shoulders before he turned around to see his mother-in-law standing before him. "Hi, Emily, how are you?" he asked.

"Fine, thank you."

Having been in this exact situation with Emily Gilmore before, Luke was no longer a stranger to her sometimes cryptic conversation tactics. "It was nice of you to come," he said.

"We wouldn't have missed it," Emily said. "Richard is around somewhere, Rory dragged him away to see a manuscript she found in the library."

Knowing that Rory was probably trying to keep her grandparents away from Ethan, Luke did his best to keep a straight face. "Well, it means a lot to Lorelai that you're here," he said.

Emily peered past him to where Lorelai was talking to Babette and Liz. "She's in pain, isn't she?" she asked.

Luke sighed as he followed Emily's gaze. Lorelai was smiling, but her eyes were betraying her face, and she wasn't talking as quickly or as frequently as she usually did. "I don't know that she's in pain," he said. "She's just tired. It's been hard for her to sleep."

"I remember when she was pregnant with Rory," Emily disclosed. "By this point she barely left her bedroom. She pretended it was because she couldn't sit through a formal dinner with her father and me, but I could tell she was exhausted."

It was strange to hear about Lorelai's first pregnancy from a different perspective. Lorelai hadn't kept anything a secret from him in regards to her pregnancy with Rory, but he sometimes forgot that Emily had been present to witness that point in Lorelai's history. "The doctor says it's normal," Luke said. "She promised she'd tell me when she feels any pain."

Emily nodded. "You just hope this time she doesn't drive herself to the hospital when she's in labor," she requested.

Luke let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm pretty sure that would give me a heart attack," he confessed.

"I think she trusts you more than she trusted us," Emily said, her voice tinged with regret. "She is no longer a child, after all."

"Sometimes it's hard to tell," Luke admitted with a shake of his head.

"Emily, you would not believe what Rory has found in a guest room upstairs," Richard stated as he appeared beside them. "There is an antique sewing table, just like the one your mother used to have."

Emily's eyes lit up. "Really?" she inquired. "Why, I simply must see it! Where is she?"

"Waiting for you by the stairs," Richard confirmed. Emily retreated to the hall, and Richard turned to Luke. "How are you, Luke?"

"Fine, Richard, thanks," Luke said before taking a sip of his water.

Richard looked to Lorelai and commented, "Lorelai is looking lovely."

Luke nodded in agreement. "It's not often she doesn't," he said.

With a chuckle, Richard shook his head. "I suppose you're right," he said. There was a moment of silence before he said, "You must be feeling somewhat anxious."

"A little worried," Luke said.

"I remember when Lorelai was born," Richard stated. "She came three weeks late, you know."

"Sounds about right," Luke muttered.

"Emily was very frustrated of course, and in those days there was very little the doctors could do to induce labor," Richard continued. "I do remember how helpless I felt. There was Emily, very uncomfortable, and there was not much I could do to ease her discomfort. I was also incredibly nervous about becoming a father."

Luke let out a deep sigh. "I'll be relieved once she's born," he admitted.

"It is worth the distress," Richard said, his eyes landing on Lorelai. "Because look at the results."

"They're pretty great," Luke agreed, looking to the corner of the room where April was giggling with a couple friends from Chilton. He may not have experienced the nervousness of waiting for her to be born, but he did know that all the worrying he'd done about April over the past three years had been worth having her become engrained in his life. He had no doubts that Victoria would amaze him just as much.

"Looks like you're being summoned," Richard said, gesturing to where Lorelai was waving Luke over.

"It was nice seeing you," Luke nodded to Richard before he headed to Lorelai's side. "How's it going?"

"Okay," she said, leaning into him. He ran a gentle hand over her hair, and then she added, "I want to go home."

"Already?" Luke asked, looking down at her. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm not sure," Lorelai admitted honestly. "I'm not…in pain. I just feel weird."

"Weird how?" Luke demanded. "Should we go to the hospital?"

"No, I don't think so," Lorelai said. "Really, I'm just tired and sore and…something."

"Something what?" Luke pressed. "Do you need something to drink? Are you dizzy? Maybe you should just go lie down upstairs if there's an empty bed there."

Lorelai shook her head. "No, I just really want to go home," she said. "I know I'm a horrible person because Sookie and the girls worked hard on this, but I'm just not feeling the party vibe right now."

"Okay," Luke said. He reached for her hands to pull her to her feet, examining her expression closely for any sign of pain or distress. "Do you think you're going into labor?"

"No," Lorelai replied. "But she's in position, so I don't know. Maybe this is my body trying to tell me to get ready. I don't think she's going to take another two weeks to get here."

Luke eyed her curiously. "Are you sure we shouldn't go to the hospital?" he asked.

Seeing no end to his worry, Lorelai sighed. "How about I call Dr. Morgan once we're in the car?" she suggested. "If she thinks I should go in, I'll let you drive me directly there."

This seemed to appease Luke, and he nodded. "Okay," he said with a confident nod.

"I just want to run to the bathroom first," Lorelai said. "Then I want to say goodbye to Sookie."

Luke nodded, watching her carefully as she turned to walk slowly towards the bathroom. She truly didn't seem to be in any pain, and he knew that it was entirely plausible that she was just tired. But he was still unable to eliminate the concern coursing through him. He doubted it would be gone until Victoria was safely in his arms and Lorelai was awake, begging for coffee and bossing him around.

"Is she okay?"

Luke turned to see Sookie standing beside him. "Yeah, but she's pretty tired," he informed her. "I think I'm going to bring her home."

"I get it," Sookie nodded. "We should have done this months ago, so it wasn't so close to her due date."

"We appreciate it," Luke said honestly. "Please, have everyone stick around and enjoy the party. She knows how much work you've put into it, everyone else should stay."

"Okay," Sookie said. "I'll send the gifts home with the girls."

"Thanks," Luke nodded.

"Let me know if I can do anything," Sookie said. "You know Lorelai. She pretends to be strong, but she's nervous. I can see it in her eyes."

"I know she is," Luke nodded. "I'll have her give you a call later tonight. None of us in the house can really relate to what she's going through right now."

"I'd be happy to commiserate with her," Sookie confirmed.

Luke flashed her a grateful smile as he saw Lorelai approaching. "Thanks."

"What he said," Lorelai nodded affirmatively. "I'm sorry to bail, Sookie, everything looks so wonderful."

"Don't worry, I understand," Sookie said with a sympathetic smile. "I'm one up on you, remember?"

Lorelai made a face. "I can't imagine doing this more than once every twenty five years," she stated.

Luke offered her a small smile and murmured, "Let's get you home."

"Thanks for everything, Sookie," Lorelai said, hugging her friend. She pulled back and pointed to her stomach. "You have permission to touch."

Sookie giggled as she rubbed her hand over Lorelai's stomach. "I feel honored," she said.

"Not much happening in there," Lorelai said with a sigh.

"Go get some sleep," Sookie said. "Call me tonight."

"I will," Lorelai promised. She turned to Luke and offered him a tired smile. He was relieved to see that it didn't seem forced, and her eyes reflected happiness, even through her fatigue. "Ready, Cool Hand?"

He nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. After a quick goodbye to Rory and April, they walked out the door into the cold winter air. Lorelai pulled her coat tighter around her and murmured, "If it's going to be this cold, it should at least snow."

"Hopefully we'll get some soon," Luke said. He opened the car door for her and watched as she settled herself into the passenger seat. "I know I'm hovering, but are you sure you're okay?"

"I am," Lorelai said. "Just tired. It's to be expected at this point."

Worry clouded his expression as his eyes held hers. "Victoria's okay too?"

Lorelai nodded. She took his hand and squeezed it. "She's fine," she promised. "Getting ready to meet us."

Luke leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. "I can't wait," he admitted quietly.

"I know," Lorelai said, reaching up to stroke her fingers over his stubble. "If it helps, I don't think she's going to make us wait the full two weeks."

With a shake of his head, Luke pulled back. "As long as you're both okay," he murmured.

"We are," she said. "Or we will be when you get us home and into bed."

Luke immediately straightened, closing the door before he walked around the hood of the car. This was going to be a long couple weeks.

XXXXX

"Hey, handsome, how about a lap dance?"

Luke looked up from his lunch when he saw Lorelai standing in the kitchen doorway three days later. "Hey," he said. "How was your nap?"

"Good," Lorelai said. She was wearing a light blue t-shirt and yoga pants, an outfit she'd taken to wearing in some variation almost constantly during the past few weeks. Her hair was pulled into a bun at the top of her head, and her cheeks were flushed pink. There was something different about her, but Luke couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Where's April?"

"Library," Luke said. "She's determined to win a reading challenge at school."

Lorelai nodded, running a hand over her stomach. "Is Rory home?" she asked.

"No, she went to Hartford, something about a DAR lunch," Luke shrugged. "She's doing everything she can to make sure your parents don't find out about Ethan. Apparently hosting this thing will prevent your mom from ever knowing about him."

"I get that," Lorelai nodded. "She's dating a democrat from Harvard. Not exactly who Richard and Emily want for their precious Rory."

Luke winced. "Yeah, I wouldn't wish that wrath on anyone," he said. Lorelai's parents had been so overbearing during the beginning of his relationship with her that he'd had to take a step back. He only hoped that Ethan wouldn't be as cowardly as Luke himself had been when the inevitable meeting did occur.

"So I'm in labor."

Choking on his water, Luke lowered his glass to the counter as he coughed the liquid down. "You're _what?"_ he asked, certain he'd heard her wrong.

"I'm in labor," Lorelai replied calmly as she walked to the fridge and pulled out a water bottle.

Luke narrowed his eyes at her, trying to evaluate his next move. Lorelai was incredibly calm and didn't seem to be in any pain. "Are you sure?" he asked. It was entirely possible that she was bored and playing a trick on him.

"Of course I'm sure," she replied, twisting the lid off the water and taking a long sip.

"You're in _labor,_ labor?" Luke clarified.

"Is there another kind?"

"No, I just…" he waved his hand in the air. "You're so calm."

"Before the storm," Lorelai said. "It's not active labor, the contractions have been coming about twenty minutes apart. No water breaking, no blood. Right now, we've just got to wait it out."

Luke remembered the doctor saying the same thing the week before, and nodded numbly. "Okay," he said.

"I need to call Dr. Morgan," Lorelai said. "And then I'm going to do a load of laundry."

"No, you're not."

Lorelai froze, her hand deep in her purse. "Yes, I am, she has the drugs," she stated firmly.

"I mean you're not going to do laundry," Luke replied. "You've got to rest."

Lorelai opened her mouth to protest, but then turned to grip the edge of the counter. She clenched her eyes shut and bent her head, inhaling deeply. Understanding exactly what was happening, Luke was immediately at her side, running a soothing hand over her back. After a moment of deep breathing, Lorelai straightened and looked him in the eye. "Thanks," she said. Glancing at the clock on the stove, she scribbled the time on a piece of paper and reached for her phone. "I'll call the doctor."

"And then you'll rest," Luke said firmly.

"How about I fold laundry while sitting on the couch?" Lorelai asked.

"Fine," Luke muttered. He didn't think it was a good idea, but he did have to trust her to know what to do. She'd brought one healthy baby into the world, and she'd do the same this time.

"Thanks," Lorelai said, holding the phone up to her ear. Luke watched as she calmly explained the situation to the doctor, nodding as she answered some questions and then asked a few of her own. After she'd hung up, she turned back to him and said, "We should keep noting the time, and when I'm at seven minutes apart we should head to the hospital. If there's bleeding or my water breaks, we need to head in immediately."

"Okay," Luke said.

Lorelai pointed to the living room. "I'll go sit down, will you bring me some laundry to fold?"

Sighing deeply, Luke turned to the laundry room and dumped the load from the dryer into the basket. He brought the basket to Lorelai, who was curled up on the couch with the opening credits to Casablanca flashing across the screen. She immediately began folding the tiny blankets and onesies she'd wanted to wash, and looked up at Luke expectantly.

"Are you going to sit?" she asked.

He shook his head and jerked a thumb towards the stairs. "I'll go put our stuff in the car so we don't have to worry about it later," he said.

Lorelai smirked slightly. "Please tell me you're not going to bring the car back to the police station to check the car seat for the millionth time," she said.

"I just wanted to know that it was in right!" Luke said defensively.

"Uh huh, and the first three police stations telling you it was fine didn't suffice?" Lorelai asked.

He scowled and turned to the stairs. "Call me if you need me," he requested.

"I will," she promised.

Luke took his time upstairs, gathering the overnight bag they'd packed. There was a variety of toiletries, a change of clothes for both of them, a set of pajamas for Lorelai, and an outfit for Victoria to wear home. On top was the blanket Lorelai had spent the past few months knitting, and Luke swallowed hard as he zipped the bag shut. The next time he touched the blanket, he'd be wrapping it around his newborn daughter. It was such a surreal thought, and he wondered how on earth Lorelai was so calm. He didn't think he could watch a movie or do housework right now if someone paid him to.

After he stashed the bag in the car, he returned to the living room, watching as Lorelai murmured the words to the movie while she folded. She paused to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and Luke was suddenly overcome with pride and gratitude that she was about to bring his daughter into the world.

Suddenly, she dropped the bib she was folding and gasped, bending forward slightly. Luke sat down beside her and she reached to grasp his leg, groaning in pain.

"It's okay," he murmured. "Breathe through it."

She sucked in gasps of air, her body relaxing after a few more moments. When the contraction had passed, Lorelai shook her head and turned to him. "I wish that was the worst of it," she stated.

Luke frowned as he trailed his knuckles over her cheek. "I hate seeing you in pain," he said quietly.

"Well, it's going to get a lot worse than this," Lorelai said. "I should probably apologize right now for anything I say, do, or throw at you until she's born. Laboring Lorelai is even worse than hormonal Lorelai."

"I can handle it," Luke said. "Anything you need me to do, I'll do."

Lorelai nodded. "It's not going to be pretty," she said. "Last time, ice chips were pelted across the room."

Luke shrugged. "You've thrown silverware at my head before," he said. "I'd prefer ice chips."

With a giggle, Lorelai ran a hand over her stomach. "Making me laugh is an excellent distraction," she said.

"Noted."

"I'll tell you one thing you can do for me," Lorelai said. "Make sure my mother does not, under any circumstances, enter the delivery room."

"That's a given," Luke nodded. "You, me and Victoria."

"And doctors with the drugs."

"That too," Luke said.

Lorelai leaned forward to kiss him. "Contrary to what I'm going to say later, I love you a lot."

"I love you too, beautiful girl."

XXXXX

"Okay, I have water here, in case you get thirsty, the doctors said that you can have water and ice chips, which I know you've said repeatedly don't help," Rory said as she stood awkwardly beside Lorelai's hospital bed later that evening. "I also brought you a plethora of magazines to pass the time. While I know you may not exactly be in the mood to read, I figured Vogue was a safe choice. I also brought you a parenting magazine, Entertainment Weekly, and Time, because it's good to be informed."

Lorelai smiled softly as she watched Rory unload a stack of magazines onto her bedside table. Her daughter was clearly out of her comfort zone right now. "Thanks, hon," she said, shifting slightly in the bed.

"How are you?" Rory asked, biting her lower lip as she looked at the machines surrounding Lorelai. "Are you okay? Did they give you the epidural yet?"

"Not yet," Lorelai sighed. "I've still got a while to go. You and April should go home and get some sleep. She probably won't be here until the morning."

"I'm not going anywhere," Rory shook her head. "Neither is April. Victoria's our family. She's the one who ties the four of us together, she's got all of us in her."

Lorelai smiled as she ran a hand over her tightened stomach. "You're right," she said. "But if you get tired or April wants to go home, you have permission to leave."

"Noted and rejected," Rory nodded. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm just going to…" Lorelai's voice trailed off as she felt another contraction approaching. She'd spent the afternoon breathing through mild contractions, and they'd gradually increased in intensity. She'd arrived at the hospital twenty minutes ago, and after she'd been settled in Luke had gone into the waiting room to check on April.

"Mom?" Rory asked. "What's wrong?"

Lorelai shook her head. "Get Luke," she requested.

"I can help," Rory insisted, stepping forward. "Do you want to hold my hand? Or pelt ice chips at my face?"

"I want Luke."

Seeing a tear run down Lorelai's cheek, Rory persisted, "I can help. I'll read to you or let you yell at me."

"Rory," Lorelai gasped through gritted teeth. "Please, get Luke."

"I don't want to leave you alone."

"I want Luke!" Lorelai practically shouted, and Rory's eyes widened as she backed towards the door.

"I'll get him," she said before she disappeared into the hallway. Luke was rounding the corner towards her, and Rory gestured to the door. "You're being summoned."

"Thanks, Rory," Luke said, offering her shoulder a tap as he walked past her into the room. "Hey, beautiful girl, how's it going?" he asked calmly. Rory stood in the doorway, watching the scene unfold before her.

"It's getting worse," Lorelai whimpered as she leaned into him.

"I know," Luke sighed, sliding onto the bed beside her and reaching to massage her shoulders gently. Glancing at the machine monitoring her contractions, he murmured, "You're almost there." Lorelai gasped through the last of the contraction, then leaned into his shoulder and tried to catch her breath. He pressed a kiss to the side of her head and whispered something in her ear, causing Lorelai to smile slightly. She closed her eyes and rested against the pillows for several moments.

"I'm sorry I yelled," Lorelai called across the room to Rory after a few minutes of silence had passed.

Rory crossed her arms over her chest. "It's okay," she said.

"No, it's not," Lorelai sighed. "I didn't mean to."

"I know," Rory said. She watched in captivation as Lorelai's body tensed again. Luke immediately reached to rub her back, murmuring softly to her as she gripped his free hand tightly. It was such an intimate moment, and as Luke pressed a lingering kiss to Lorelai's temple, Rory suddenly felt as if she was intruding.

"I'll go wait outside," she said, gesturing towards the door. "Keep us updated?"

"Sure, kid," Luke nodded. Lorelai turned to look at him as Rory disappeared out the door.

"I scared her away," she said.

"I think she just wants to give you some privacy," Luke countered.

"How's April?" Lorelai asked.

Luke rolled his eyes good naturedly. "Researching the most effective ways for a teenager to bond with a newborn," he said. "I knew buying her that laptop for Christmas would be a mistake."

Lorelai smiled slightly. "She's going to be a good big sister," she said.

"She will be."

"I'm sorry I'm being so clingy," Lorelai whispered. She'd felt far less violent urges so far in this labor, and was instead craving Luke to be close. He'd learned how to read her contractions, alternating between rubbing her back, offering her his hands to squeeze, and simply sitting next to her to let her know he was there.

"A far cry from what you prepared me for," Luke said.

"I still make no promises for what may happen tonight," Lorelai sighed. She rested her head against his shoulder as she said, "I want this to be over with."

"Me too," Luke sighed.

"I want to meet her."

"Me too."

"I want to hold her."

Luke nudged her arm gently. "I'm going to fight you on that one," he said. "Once I get her, I'm not sure I'll ever let her go."

Lorelai gasped with pretend offense. "I see, you're just using me to get another kid," she said. "Once she's here you won't need me anymore."

"Not true," Luke said. "I need you plenty. I'm just not going to share her right away."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "I'm suddenly feeling the need to pelt ice at your face," she said.

Luke glanced at the monitor behind her and warned, "Another one's coming."

A weary expression came over Lorelai's face. She reached for his hand, squeezing it tightly as she bent forward. Her face twisted in pain, and Luke sighed as he watched her. Never had he felt more useless, but he gently talked Lorelai through the contraction, hoping that it did some amount of good.

"How are we doing, Lorelai?" Dr. Morgan asked as she entered the room.

Lorelai glared at her as the contraction passed. "Ready to run a marathon," she said sarcastically.

The doctor smiled sympathetically as she settled onto a stool at the end of the bed. "As someone who's done both, you're about to do the more challenging of the two," she informed her.

"Lucky me," Lorelai sighed. "How about that epidural?"

The doctor nodded as she pulled back from her exam. "I'll send an intern in," she confirmed. "I'll be back to check on you once it's taken effect."

"Thank you," Lorelai sighed as she leaned into Luke. "I'm tired."

"I know," he murmured. "Hopefully you can get some sleep once the medicine kicks in."

"The girls can come in then," Lorelai whispered tiredly.

Luke smoothed a hand over her hair. "They get it if you're not up for visitors," he said.

"Now, no," Lorelai said. "Once I'm drugged up, I'll appreciate their company."

"Okay," Luke sighed.

Half an hour later, Lorelai was happily numb from the pain of her contractions and flipping through a copy of Vogue that Rory had left with her. Luke was seated beside her bed, filling out insurance paperwork, and they both looked up when there was a tap on the door. Seeing Rory and April hovering together, Lorelai's face lit up with a smile.

"Welcome to the party," she said. "Drugs have already been distributed, so there will be no more yelling."

April entered the room, her eyes wide as she took in all the medical equipment. "How effaced are you?" she asked Lorelai seriously.

"Let's just say this one isn't in a rush to be born," Lorelai sighed. "It's my own fault for giving her such a good home for the past nine months."

"It's going to be awhile?" Rory asked.

"Probably overnight," Luke said. "You guys should go home, come back in the morning."

"No way," Rory shook her head. She wrapped her arm around April and said, "We're her sisters, we're in this for the long haul."

"Might want to make yourselves comfortable," Lorelai sighed. "I sure have."

"Is everything okay?" Rory asked.

"As it can be," Lorelai said. "She's a big baby, so the delivery could be tricky, but that's why they have pain medicine."

"Tricky?" April repeated. "What does that mean?"

"It means your dad is going to owe me the biggest cup of coffee he can find," Lorelai said. "We'll be fine, sweetie."

April's eyes flickered to the machine beside Lorelai that was monitoring her contractions. "You're having a contraction right now," she said. "You can't feel it at all?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Whoever invented this particular medicine should be knighted," she announced.

"If Paul McCartney could do it, anyone can," Rory confirmed.

Luke glanced at Lorelai, who was offering their daughters a reassuring smile. He could see behind her smile and knew that she was more nervous than she was letting on. Not that he blamed her; he was certain he'd never had such an eclectic range of emotions coursing through him at once.

Clearing his throat, Luke stood and reached to play with the end of Lorelai's hair, which was pulled into a casual braid and hanging over her shoulder. It was so different than how she would normally wear it, and he wondered why she was choosing _now_ to experiment with a new look. "You should try to get some sleep," he murmured.

Lorelai nodded, then looked to Rory and April. "If you decide you want to go home, we won't be mad," she promised. "It's going to be awhile, and even longer until she's cute enough for visitors."

"We'll be here," Rory promised. She leaned over to hug her mother and kiss her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too, babe," Lorelai said as she returned the hug. "Hopefully I'll see you soon."

April stepped forward to offer a hug of her own. "Good luck, Lorelai," she said.

"Thanks, sweetie," Lorelai smiled. "I promise you won't become a Jan."

April furrowed her brow and Luke rolled his eyes. "I'll explain," Rory said, leading April towards the door.

"I'll make sure they're okay," Luke said, leaning closer to Lorelai. "You're okay?"

She nodded. "For now," she said.

"Good," he said, tracing a finger over her stomach before he leaned in to kiss her. "I'll be right back."

"Okay," Lorelai sighed as she watched him walk to the door. Suddenly alone in the room, she looked down at her stomach. "Alright, baby girl," she murmured. "I'll try my best to make this easy for you if you do the same for me."

XXXXX

Hours later, Lorelai collapsed against the back of the table in the delivery room. "I can't do it," she sobbed. She turned to look at Luke, who was standing beside her and gripping her hand in both of his. "I'm sorry, Luke, I'm so tired. I can't do this anymore."

"I know you're tired, Lorelai, but you've got to keep pushing," Dr. Morgan called from the other end of the table.

Lorelai shook her head and reached with her free hand to push her hair off of her face. It was matted with sweat and sticking to her forehead, and reminded Lorelai of exactly how pathetic she probably looked at that moment. "I can't," she whispered, a tear streaking down her cheek.

"I don't want to hear that," Luke said, leaning closer to her. He brushed a towel over her face to absorb some of the sweat. "You can do this, Lorelai. You've always been able to do anything you put your mind to, and this is no exception. It's just a few more pushes."

"I've been giving birth for three years!" Lorelai exclaimed. "Wars have been fought and resolved, JLo's been married and divorced twice, and April has graduated high school since I entered this room!"

With a small smile, Luke shook his head. Even in the midst of childbirth, Lorelai could work herself into a pop culture referencing babble.

"Are you smiling?" Lorelai shouted, ripping the towel out of his hands and throwing it at him. "I'm being torn to pieces by _your_ child, and you're _smiling?"_

"I'm sorry," he said, immediately sobering and stepping closer. "Think about what this is for. If you can push just a few more times, we'll be able to see Victoria. Hold her, see which one of us she looks like. Do this for Victoria."

Lorelai inhaled sharply. "For Victoria," she nodded. She turned to look at him and requested, "Hold my hand?"

He immediately took her hand, then reached around her with his free hand to take her other one. "You can do this, Lorelai, I know you can," he said as he pressed a kiss to the back of her head.

Gripping his hands tightly, Lorelai inhaled a large breath and bared down again. Luke felt her body tensing and murmured soft words of encouragement in her ear. He hated seeing her in so much pain, and he wished there was more he could do.

"Lorelai, you're going to have to push harder," Dr. Morgan said. "You've got a big baby here, she's not making it easy for you."

"I can't," Lorelai cried, leaning back into Luke. A tear spilled down her cheek. "Please, just let me sleep and I'll push harder later."

"I can see her head, she's almost there," the doctor promised. "Just a few more hard pushes, and then she'll be here."

"Hear that, she's almost here," Luke murmured.

Lorelai closed her eyes. "I take back saying that I love them all equally," she said. "April's my favorite, she never did this to me."

"I'll let her know," Luke promised.

"Oh god," Lorelai said, feeling her body take control of itself. She bent forward and let out a loud string of curses that caused even Luke to raise his eyebrows in surprise. It was no secret to him that his wife was no stranger to the occasional swear word, but this was certainly the most creative way he'd ever heard those words used.

"Shoulders are out," the doctor announced. "Buttocks, knees, and feet. Suction!"

"Oh, thank god," Lorelai cried, collapsing against Luke. She closed her eyes for a moment, then heard a wail echo through the room. "How is she?" she asked as she pushed herself up. "Is she okay?"

"Healthy lungs," the doctor replied. "We'll clean her off and perform the APGAR, then you can hold her."

"Go with her," Lorelai said to Luke.

His expression was torn as he glanced across the room, where the nurses were huddled over their daughter. He couldn't deny his curiosity, but he didn't want to leave Lorelai. "I don't want to leave you," he admitted.

"Go with her," Lorelai insisted. "I'm fine, Luke. She'll know your voice, she won't be scared."

Luke pressed a kiss to the top of Lorelai's head. "I love you so much," he murmured.

"Bring me our baby," Lorelai requested.

Luke kissed her forehead and then moved to stand beside the nurses, who were wrapping his daughter in a soft pink blanket. "Is she okay?" he asked.

A nurse turned to offer him a warm smile. "She's perfect," she confirmed. She scooped Victoria into her arms and held her out to Luke. "She's all yours."

Luke felt an overwhelming sense of both adoration and disbelief wash over him as he took her into his arms. He was holding his daughter in his arms, the baby who mere minutes earlier had been inside of Lorelai. Her face was scrunched and red, but beautiful, and Luke couldn't believe that he had been part of creating this perfect, brand new life in his arms. "Hi, Victoria," he murmured. "Welcome to the world."

"Is she okay?"

Hearing Lorelai's voice call out to him from across the room snapped Luke to attention, and he glanced over at her. "She's perfect," he replied.

"Are you going to let me see her?" Lorelai's voice was tired and irritated.

Luke moved slowly and carefully across the room, to where Lorelai was resting against the back of the table. "Here's your mom, remember her?" Luke murmured down to the baby.

"Oh my god," Lorelai breathed, propping herself up on her elbows as Luke angled their daughter towards her. "She's so beautiful."

"Just like her mother," Luke said, tearing his gaze away from Victoria to smile at Lorelai.

Lorelai smiled, but didn't take her eyes off her daughter. "You're turning Daddy into a sap," she cooed.

"Alright, Luke, we've got to take her to the nursery to do some tests," Dr. Morgan said, settling back beside Lorelai. "And Lorelai, you've got a little more to do."

Lorelai frowned, but reached out to run her hand over Victoria's stomach. "Daddy will go with you," she promised. "I'll see you very soon, angel. Make sure you ace those tests, you've got two brilliant older sisters to keep up with."

Luke reluctantly handed Victoria over to a nurse, who settled the baby into a plastic crib to transport her out of the delivery room.

"Go with her," Lorelai said to Luke as she leaned back against the table.

"I don't…"

"Luke, I'm fine," Lorelai promised. "You don't want to be here for this part, I promise. Victoria needs you, she'll be scared. And you have to tell Rory and April they're big sisters."

Luke nodded, and leaned down to press a lingering kiss to her temple. "God, Lorelai, I love you so much," he whispered.

She offered him an affectionate, but tired, smile. "I'll like you again later," she promised.

With one more kiss to her forehead, Luke turned to the doctor. "Take care of her," he ordered.

Dr. Morgan gave him an amused smile. "We'll have her in her room as soon as she delivers the afterbirth," she said. "Victoria will be sent in as soon as she's done with her tests."

"Thank you," Luke said. He turned to the door, paused, and spun around one more time to lean over Lorelai. "Lorelai…"

"I'm okay," Lorelai reassured. "Seriously, Luke, there are four of us girls now. Go check on the other three."

"Okay," he sighed. He pressed his forehead against hers for a moment before he turned to the door.

Rory and April were curled up on two separate couches in the waiting room. They were both fast asleep, and Luke shook his head at the burst of pride he felt as he watched them. He knew he had to wake them, to tell them that they officially had a sister, but there was another part of him that wanted to leave them be, that hated to disturb what he was sure was a very spotty night's sleep.

Rory stirred slightly and then groaned, her eyes popping open before she sat up slowly. She ran a hand over her hair and yawned, freezing when she saw Luke standing in front of her. "Oh my god," she gasped, jumping to her feet. She winced, then ran towards him. "How is she? What's happening? Is everything okay?"

Luke couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face. "Lorelai's fine, Victoria's fine, everything's perfect," he confirmed. "Congratulations, you're a big sister."

"She's here?" Rory cried.

With a nod, Luke ran a hand over his face. "Yeah, she's finally here, in all her screaming glory," he said. "They're testing her vision and hearing right now. She's beautiful."

"Oh my god!" Rory exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Luke. "This is so amazing!"

"Yeah, it is," Luke said, hugging her back.

"How's Mom?" Rory asked, pulling away. "Is she okay? I mean, you're alive so that means things must not have been _too_ bad."

Luke chuckled. "I wouldn't say she particularly enjoyed the experience, but she's okay," he said. "She's…uh…getting cleaned up, then they'll bring her to her room."

A slight look of disgust came over Rory's face as she connected the dots, but then she patted Luke's arm. "I want to see pictures!" she said.

"No pictures yet," Luke said. "Cameras were strictly forbidden from the delivery room."

"Oh, right," Rory nodded.

Luke looked down at April, who had somehow managed to sleep through Rory's cries of excitement. "Has she been sleeping long?" he asked.

"We've both been in and out all night," Rory replied.

Suddenly realizing he had no idea whether it was night or day, Luke glanced down at his watch. "6:01," he murmured. By his estimate, Victoria must have been born around 5:30 that morning. He shook his head, then crouched down to run his hand over April's shoulder.

"Leave me alone," she grumbled, swatting at his hand.

"Okay, I'll just tell Rory all about your new sister," Luke said gently.

"She's here?" April asked without opening her eyes.

"She's here," Luke repeated.

"Is she cute?"

"She's beautiful."

April sighed and then opened her eyes, looking at Luke for a long moment. A smile came across her lips, and she sat up slowly. "What was the score on her APGAR?" she asked.

"Seven on the first one," Luke explained, knowing that his daughter showed her understanding of the world through scientific inquiry.

"How much does she weigh?"

"Still waiting on those stats," Luke replied.

"How's Lorelai?"

"Tired, but good," Luke said. "I'll check on her in a few minutes. I know she wants to see you, but she might need to rest a little first."

"We'll be here," Rory said. "Can we see Victoria?"

Luke pointed to the nursery. "They're bringing her to Lorelai after they test her," he said. "Apparently kids can be born hungry."

"It's true," April said. "And if she struggles to eat, you're going to have to call a lactation specialist to massage…"

"Okay, we get the idea," Rory interrupted, clamping her hands over her ears. "That's my mother you're talking about!"

Luke laughed and shook his head. Sometimes it was hard to believe that Rory and April hadn't grown up together and had as large an age gap as they did. They bickered like sisters who'd known each other forever. "I'll check on you guys later," he promised. "If you want to go grab breakfast, that's fine."

"I'm not going anywhere until I meet my sister," Rory said firmly. She stepped forward and wrapped Luke in another tight hug. "Congratulations, Daddy Luke."

Luke felt his emotions begin to get the best of him as he hugged Rory back. "Thanks, kid," he murmured.

After he'd embraced April, he promised to return soon with an update and headed to the nursery. He peered through the window, where his daughter was surrounded by a pair of nurses testing her reflexes. He watched as a tiny hand appeared in the air, and crossed his arms over his chest, trying to fight off the incredible emotions coursing through him. He knew, without a doubt, that Victoria Abigail Gilmore Danes was the most perfect baby in the hospital.

XXXXX

Three hours later, Luke was sitting in the rocking chair beside Lorelai's bed. His wife was sleeping soundly, and his daughter was doing the same in his arms. Lorelai had already been asleep when he'd returned to her room after Victoria's tests. Their daughter had seemed to think it was a wise idea, because the second he'd lifted her out of the bassinet, she'd curled into his arms and fallen into a deep sleep.

Luke had taken the time to admire his baby's features, trying to decide whether she looked more like him or Lorelai. While Victoria was completely perfect, he was still struggling to see signs of either him or his wife in her face. Maybe as she grew she'd start to resemble one of them more than the other.

There was movement from the bed, and Luke turned to see Lorelai batting at her nose. It scrunched slightly, a sure sign she was waking up, and a moment later she turned to look at him. Her eyes first registered pain, but it was quickly overshadowed by curiosity when she realized that he wasn't alone in the room. "Is she okay?" she asked.

"She's incredible," Luke nodded, tracing a finger over his daughter's cheek. "How are you feeling?"

Lorelai was silent for a moment as she considered the question. "Like I just pushed a human out of me," she concluded.

"Lorelai…"

"Tired and sore, but okay," she said. "Bring her here."

Luke sighed as he stood. "I really don't want to share her," he murmured.

"Luke, please," she said, trying to push herself into a seated position. "Oh, ow!"

Concern immediately filled Luke's expression. "I'll raise the bed," he promised. Carefully he stood and cradled Victoria in his arms as he approached Lorelai. "Ready?"

Lorelai nodded and winced slightly as the bed whirred to life. She shifted slightly once it was in place, then held her arms out. "Give me my baby," she demanded.

Luke gently shifted Victoria into her arms, then sat down beside her on the bed. "She passed all her tests with flying colors," he reported.

"Good job, baby girl!" Lorelai exclaimed, tapping her hand against Victoria's in an improvised high five. "What else did they say?"

"Born at 5:22 this morning," Luke reported. He gently tickled Victoria's stomach as he continued, "nine and a half pounds, twenty two inches long."

"No wonder I feel like I've been ripped apart," Lorelai sighed. She bounced the baby slightly and whispered, "You're a big girl."

"Was it worth it?" Luke murmured, resting his chin on Lorelai's shoulder as they both admired their baby.

"Completely," Lorelai sighed. She stretched her legs out in front of her and gently laid Victoria down on her thighs. She unwrapped the blanket and ran her fingers over Victoria's legs. "Ten toes," she commented.

Luke offered a finger to Victoria, who automatically wrapped her tiny fingers around his. "Ten fingers," he added.

Lorelai slid the pink hat off her daughter's head. "Nice thick head of hair," she said. "Brown, of course."

"She has your eyes," Luke reported.

"Really?" Lorelai asked, looking down at the still sleeping baby.

"Yeah, she woke up for a little while earlier," Luke replied. "Big and round, blue like yours. They actually reminded me of Rory's more than anyone else's."

Lorelai giggled. "She already has the Victoria face down?" she asked.

Luke laughed. "Probably," he sighed. "God, with four of you I'm never going to stand a chance."

"How are the girls?" Lorelai asked.

"They're good, I told them the news right after I left the delivery room," Luke reported.

"How long was I out?" Lorelai asked.

"Three hours or so," Luke shrugged. "It's around 9:30."

Lorelai nodded, then looked to the small couch in the room. "Can you get the blanket I made? I want her to have that one."

Luke stood and reached for their overnight bag, gently pulling the blanket out. He watched as Lorelai wrapped Victoria in the soft pink and green material, then eased the baby back into her arms. "The girls were wondering when they could come visit," he said.

Sighing softly, Lorelai nodded. She rocked Victoria slightly and said, "I guess we should let her meet her sisters."

"They can wait a few more minutes," Luke said as he resumed his position beside Lorelai. She rested her head against his shoulder and they studied the baby carefully.

"I forgot what this feels like," Lorelai admitted. "I love her so much."

"Me too," Luke murmured. "Look at what we did, Lorelai. We _made_ her."

Lorelai smiled softly. "We did okay," she said, her voice filled with wonder.

Victoria stretched in Lorelai's arms, and a moment later her eyes slid open. Luke knew that his daughter's vision wouldn't become sharp for a few days, but he still felt as though she was studying him just as carefully as he was studying her.

"There are those pretty blue eyes," Lorelai cooed. "Daddy's right, you have your big sister Rory's eyes."

"Hopefully not her appetite," Luke grumbled.

Victoria turned towards Lorelai, her mouth instinctually opening and closing. Lorelai giggled as she nudged her husband's stomach with her elbow. "Guess that answers that," she said.

"Guess it does," he sighed.

"Let's try this," Lorelai said. She leaned forward and requested, "Can you undo my gown?"

Luke obliged, watching curiously as Lorelai lowered the front of her hospital gown and held Victoria up to her chest. The baby floundered for a moment before she latched on. A moment later she began sucking eagerly, and Lorelai leaned her head back against the pillows. "Well, that was easy," she commented.

"Does it hurt?" Luke asked.

"Nah, just feels a little strange," Lorelai said. She watched him watch Victoria, his face filled with adoration. "Hey, Butch, my eyes are up here."

Luke shook his head. "I'm looking at our daughter," he said.

"Uh huh, convenient," Lorelai said. She frowned as Victoria let go, then whispered, "Come on, baby, try a little more than that."

"Maybe she was just curious," Luke said.

Lorelai sighed. "Maybe," she said. When it was obvious that Victoria wasn't going to eat anything else at the moment, she pulled the shoulder of the gown back up. "Will you hold her? I want to put real pajamas on."

Luke immediately took Victoria into his arms, but offered Lorelai a concerned frown. "Should you be standing?" he asked.

"Uh, I gave birth, it's not like it's a knee replacement," Lorelai said. She started to scoot off the bed, but pain flashed across her face. "I'm fine," she insisted, anticipating Luke's protests.

"Lorelai, don't push yourself," Luke said. "It's only been a couple hours."

"A couple hours after I had Rory, I was at the nursery window looking at her," Lorelai replied. "I can put on a set of pajamas."

Knowing that there was very little he could do to stop her, Luke watched with mounting concern as Lorelai slowly pulled herself to the edge of the bed. Pain filled her face as she eased her legs to the side, and she paused for a long moment as she braced herself to stand. She carefully balanced her full body weight on her legs, but immediately sank back down onto the bed. Letting out a gasp of pain, she grasped her still swollen abdomen and bent over slightly.

"Okay, that's it," Luke said. He stood and gently pressed a kiss to Victoria's head, then lowered her into the crib on the side of the bed. "Get back into bed."

A tear streaked down Lorelai's cheek as she allowed Luke to help her back into bed. "I hate feeling weak," she said.

"You gave birth less than four hours ago," Luke reminded her as he pulled the covers back over her. "You deserve a little bit of rest."

"I hate when you're right," Lorelai sighed as she leaned back into the pillows. She closed her eyes and requested, "Can you bring me the pajamas? And help me change?"

"Of course," Luke said. He fished the pajamas out of the bag, then returned to her side. As he helped her slide the shirt on, he commented, "It's okay to ask for help, you know."

"I know," she said. "And I'm very glad you're here, really, Luke. I'm just having a little bit of a flashback to 1984 here."

"A wonderful day, I'm sure," Luke murmured. "But you're not alone this time. You've got to let me take care of you, so you can take care of Victoria."

A glimmer appeared in Lorelai's eyes. "She's out in the world, you know," she said. "That means taking care of her isn't all on me anymore."

"I will gladly care for her," Luke said. "And you."

"I love you, did you know that?"

Luke smiled as he sat down on the end of her bed. "I did," he said. He rested a hand on her knee and offered her a fond smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Lorelai replied. "I've waited a long time for you to thank me for buying you that leather jacket."

Rolling his eyes, Luke nodded towards the crib. "For her," he said. "I know it wasn't easy, but you were so strong."

Lorelai followed his gaze to their sleeping infant. "It wasn't easy," she agreed. "But it was worth it."

When she turned back to Luke, he was holding out a jewelry box, and she tilted her head to the side. "Lucas Danes, did you buy me pretty, pretty jewelry?" she asked.

"Maybe," he said.

She smiled and took the box, opening it to reveal a diamond bracelet. "Oh my god, Luke," she whispered as she lifted it gingerly from the box. "It's beautiful."

"It's the least I could do," he said. "You're incredible, Lorelai. I still can't believe that you chose me to spend your life with."

Tears pricked Lorelai's eyes, but she couldn't resist a little teasing. "Holding a newborn is drawing out Romantic Luke, huh?"

"You brought our kid into the world, that deserves a little romance," Luke said.

"It's beautiful," Lorelai sighed. "Put it on?"

Luke took the bracelet and unclasped it, then reached for her outstretched wrist. He hooked it closed, then leaned down to press a kiss to the inside of her wrist. "I love you."

Lorelai's hormones had officially taken over and she brushed a tear away from the corner of her eye. "I love you too," she said. She shook her head slightly and whispered, "When did we become the cheesy emotional couple?"

"Around the time we had a baby together."

"Oh my god, yell at me about coffee or something," Lorelai requested, smiling through her tears.

Luke offered her an affectionate smile as he brushed her hair out of her face. "Red meat will kill you," he said.

"There's the guy I know and love," she sighed. She looked down to Victoria and asked, "Do you think she's scared?"

"I hope not," Luke admitted.

"I wonder if it hurts to be born," Lorelai speculated. "It can't exactly be fun, considering what it does to us moms."

Luke sighed. He'd hated seeing Lorelai in such indescribable pain earlier, and he hated to think that Victoria might be just as sore as her mother. "She's healthy," he offered.

"Which is what matters," Lorelai sighed. She ran a hand over Luke's knee and smiled sweetly. "You know, you did promise me the biggest cup of coffee known to man once I gave birth."

Luke sighed and shook his head. "Fine," he said. "But then you're cut off again, at least when she needs to eat."

"Deal," Lorelai said. "Give me our baby, then go tell the girls they can come meet their sister."

With a pat to her knee, Luke stood and bent over the crib. Lorelai watched with an affectionate smile as Luke gently eased Victoria into his arms. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him cradle their daughter tenderly. She'd pictured this moment thousands of times, since before she'd even gotten pregnant, but nothing could have prepared her for the sight of Luke Danes, the man who'd once told her he didn't know anything about 'jam hands,' rock a newborn baby-their newborn baby-in his arms. He whispered softly to Victoria as he carried her over to Lorelai. He gently eased the baby into her mother's arms, and then reached out to rub his thumb over her hand. "I'll be right back, sweetheart," he whispered. "Your sisters are dying to meet you."

Lorelai beamed up at him. "They'll have to flip a coin to see who holds her first," she said. "I'd say rock, paper scissors, but April might have inherited your forfeit gene for that particular game."

Luke rolled his eyes and squeezed her shoulder. "Need anything?"

"Rory. And coffee. Not necessarily in that order."

"I'm telling her you said that."

Lorelai frowned. "Can I remind you that this kid just tried to kill me?" she said with a dramatic eye roll.

Luke sighed. "How long are you going to use that to win arguments?" he asked.

After a moment of contemplation, Lorelai replied, "Forever."

He leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "That's what I thought," he said. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Lorelai watched him leave, then turned to the baby in her arms. She drew her knees up and gently rested Victoria against them, examining her daughter closely. "Hey, sweet girl," she whispered. "You remember me, right? I know I'm probably much prettier on the outside, but hopefully there's something familiar. I'm your mom, and according to your oldest sister, you're pretty lucky on that account." Lorelai tried to fight the urge to do so, but she couldn't help flashing back to the last time she'd done this, as a terrified teenager who finally had something good to contribute to the world. "She's pretty special, your big sister, but you and I are a team too. A different kind of team, because your daddy's around, but we'll have plenty of girl time. I'll teach you the hair flip and Rory will teach you what Daddy will call the "Victoria Face," and that will get him to do whatever you want him to. Just…don't grow up too fast, okay? We're going to bring you home to a perfect little corner of the world, and we'll take really good care of you. We'll have dance parties and movie marathons, and I'm sure your dad will teach you to cook and play baseball. So we'll make sure you have everything you need, as long as you stay a kid for as long as you possibly can."

"Hi, Mom."

Lorelai looked from one daughter to another, her smile widening when she saw Rory standing hesitantly in the doorway. "Hey, big sister," she said, shifting to hold Victoria in her arms again. "Where's everyone else?"

"April went with Luke to get your coffee," Rory said. "He…he could tell I needed a minute alone. To see that you're okay."

Lorelai remembered reading something about older siblings being scared when their mother was admitted to the hospital. Although the article was clearly geared towards toddlers and small children, she was now realizing that Rory, even as a grown up, had still been apprehensive about her mother being admitted to the hospital. "I'm more than okay," she said. "Come sit with the mommy and meet your sister."

Rory stepped closer to the bed, smiling as she leaned over the bed. "Wow, she's so little," she commented.

Smiling fondly down at the baby, Lorelai commented, "She's actually big. Nine and a half pounds."

"How much did I weigh?" Rory asked.

"Seven and a half, so she wins the prize," Lorelai replied. She turned to look at Rory. "Do you want to hold her?"

Both desire and fear washed over Rory's face, and she bit her lower lip. "I don't want to drop her," she said.

"You won't," Lorelai said. She shifted on the bed and nodded to the spot beside her. "Come on, there are three of us Gilmore girls now, we can all squish together."

Rory sat down, then held her hands out for her sister.

"Sanitize first," Lorelai requested.

After Rory had slathered her hands in hand sanitizer, Lorelai leaned toward her and shifted Victoria into her arms. She leaned back into the pillows, feeling her heart squeeze at the sight of her two daughters together.

"Wow," Rory murmured. "Hi, Victoria. I'm your oldest sister. I'll be around a lot, and I'll make sure you have a great appreciation for literature. I'll also be the one to come to when our mother wants you to do things like eat her vegetables or tell Grandma that she's got leprosy so she can't come to dinner. And when you're older and your dad chases down your boyfriend in the middle of the street, I'll tell you exactly how to handle him." She grew quiet as she observed Victoria closely.

Lorelai smiled as Victoria began to squirm, and a moment later her eyes popped open. "Luke says she has your eyes," she said quietly.

Rory made eye contact with her sister, and smiled softly. "That's good, I'll teach her how to use them to her advantage," she said.

Unable to suppress a yawn, Lorelai leaned back into the pillows. "Keep up with the sisterly bonding," she said quietly. "Don't mind me."

Rory glanced at her mother before she turned her attention back to Victoria. She gently untangled one hand to reach a finger out, smiling when Victoria clasped her entire hand around it. "We're really lucky," she said softly. "We have two great parents looking out for us. And you're extra lucky, because April and I will also show you how to deal with them when they do crazy things."

Lorelai laughed through her closed eyes. "Already trying to turn her against Mommy," she commented.

"I always wondered what it would be like to have a partner in crime," Rory said softly. She trailed her fingers over Victoria's arm. "It feels really good."

The door opened, and Rory and Lorelai both turned to see Luke and April step into the room. April immediately went to Rory's side, examining their sister closely. Lorelai turned to look at Luke, who came to stand on the other side of the bed.

"We have the camera, right?" she murmured.

"Yeah, it's in the bag," Luke confirmed.

"I want some pictures of this," Lorelai sighed. She turned to where Rory had stood, both she and April admiring Victoria, who was sound asleep in Rory's arms. "Look how perfect they look together."

Luke's hand found hers, and he took it gently. Not trusting himself to speak without sounding choked up, he simply squeezed her hand.

"She's a little bit of all of us," Lorelai whispered. "Victoria, she's got part of both of us and both of them in her. She's like…the completion of the family."

Luke nodded and inhaled a deep breath. "We're really here," he stated. "We really did it."

Without taking her eyes off of her daughters, Lorelai leaned back so her head was resting against Luke's chest. "We made another perfect kid," she commented.

"Think we could do it again?" Luke asked, earning himself a hit in the stomach.

"Bite your tongue," Lorelai said. "Let me at least recover from this birth before you become obsessed with another one."

"I will," Luke noted, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head. His head snapped up when they heard a soft wail come from across the room.

"So it begins," Lorelai sighed, trying not to laugh at Rory's panicked face. "Give her to me, I'll calm her down before you hold her, April."

Rory bit her lower lip as she shifted Victoria into Lorelai's waiting arms. "I didn't mean to make her cry!" she promised.

Lorelai smiled softly as she rocked Victoria in her arms. "I know, hon," she said. "It's just what babies to. You were way louder than her."

"Should we leave?" April asked, glancing suspiciously at Victoria.

"Nah, she ate earlier," Lorelai said. "She's probably just overwhelmed by how pretty her sisters are."

"Should I check her diaper?" Luke murmured.

Lorelai paused as she tapped the diaper slightly. "It feels okay, I think she's just adjusting to being in the real world," she said. Nodding to the bag, she requested, "If you get the camera, we can have a family photo shoot once she's done with her tantrum."

Luke looked at her carefully before he turned back to the bag. Lorelai watched him, then turned to Rory and April, who were arranging a variety of cards and gifts on the windowsill. "Welcome to our family, Victoria," Lorelai whispered. "We've waited a long time for you. I hope you like it here."


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed! I still have a lot in store for this story, so it's not even close to being over. I hope you're all still along for the ride. Happy reading!**

* * *

Lorelai offered the nurse helping her back into bed a grateful smile later that evening. "I thought I had a husband to do this for me, but I think I've been replaced," she commented.

With a shake of her head, the nurse adjusted the covers at the end of Lorelai's bed. "It looks like it's been while since the two of you have done this, he's probably just out of practice," she commented. "I will say, though, with as many families we get coming through here, your husband is one of the more capable fathers."

It warmed Lorelai's heart to hear that to the hospital staff, Luke was not new to being a father of a newborn. It meant that he was confident in caring for Victoria and his nerves had dissipated somewhat, at least to the outside world.

"Can I feed her?" Lorelai asked as she leaned back against the pillows. It had been hours since Victoria's first half hearted attempt at nursing, and Lorelai could feel the pressure building in her own body.

The nurse glanced at the clock. "Sure," she said. "I'll bring her in shortly. Can I get you anything else?"

"No, I'm just glad to know I'm still capable of walking," Lorelai said. "Already an improvement since this morning."

The door opened and Luke walked in, carrying a paper bag of food. His eyes widened when he saw the nurse hovering over Lorelai and asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, this good Samaritan was just helping me in and out of bed since you decided to abandon me," Lorelai confirmed.

He stepped closer and held up the bag. "Does getting you dinner count as abandoning?" he asked.

"Depends what it is."

"Turkey sandwich with fries."

"No burger?"

"No, but there are extra fries," Luke replied. "And pie for dessert."

"Gimme!" Lorelai demanded, holding her hands out for the bag.

Luke shook his head as he handed her the bag, then leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Tired," Lorelai admitted. "But I got that nice nap in this afternoon, so I'll be okay for awhile."

The nurse offered a small smile as she stepped back. "I'll be back in a few minutes with Victoria," she said. "Enjoy your dinner."

Lorelai offered a smile of gratitude before she turned to Luke. "How are you?" she asked.

"Fine."

"Luke," she tilted her head to the side and waited patiently.

Letting out a long breath, Luke sighed and sat down facing her on the bed. "Overwhelmed," he admitted. "Happy, terrified, amazed…I'm not even sure."

Lorelai nodded sympathetically. "That's because you haven't slept or eaten anything in two days," she said.

"I'm not the one who gave birth."

"True, but you're also human," Lorelai said. She handed him half of her sandwich. "Eat this."

"You need your strength."

With a frustrated sigh, Lorelai waved the sandwich in his face. "You're really going to argue with me after your nine and a half pound baby just ripped her way out of my body?" she asked.

Luke grimaced, but took the sandwich. "Is that description really what you're saying when you want me to eat?" he asked.

"I could have gone into much more detail," Lorelai said. "You were there, you now know that childbirth is not beautiful or magical, no matter what they tell you."

"At least we got a perfect kid out of it."

"Yeah, she's pretty cute," Lorelai agreed. "How are Rory and April?"

"They're good," Luke confirmed. He took a bite of the sandwich, and Lorelai smirked when she saw the satisfaction in his eyes as he chewed.

"Did they go home?"

Luke swallowed, then nodded. "Yeah, they were both pretty tired. April's going to go to school tomorrow, but Rory will be here in the morning," he said.

"Okay," Lorelai said. Her half of the sandwich was already devoured, and she munched on a French fry for a moment. "Did the doctors tell you anything about when Victoria and I can go home?"

"Insurance covers two nights post delivery," Luke said. "I'll stay with you tomorrow night too."

Lorelai flashed him a grateful smile. "Thanks," she said softly.

"It's not like I'd be able to sleep at home anyway," Luke said.

"I know, I've conditioned you to need me right next to you," Lorelai nodded.

He leaned forward to kiss her. "You think you're joking," he muttered before he kissed her again.

Lorelai cupped his cheeks for a moment before she pulled back with a smile. "Slow down, Cool Hand, it's only been twelve hours," she said.

"Sorry," he sighed, pulling back to look at her closely. "You're sure you're okay?"

"As okay as I can be," she promised. "It'll be a few days before I'm ready to go to the gym again."

Luke scoffed, and his head snapped towards the door when it opened to reveal their nurse cradling Victoria.

"Someone's ready for her dinner," the nurse smiled.

"I can take her," Luke stood and reached his arms out.

"Nice try, but I've got a monopoly on this," Lorelai said. She popped a final fry in her mouth, set the food bag on the end table and then reached to sanitize her hands. After she'd unbuttoned her pajama shirt, she gently reached out to take Victoria, smiling brightly down at her. "Hey, sweet girl, remember me?" she asked.

"I know you said she latched on earlier, but I'll stick around to make sure she's actually eating," the nurse murmured as Lorelai situated the baby. Victoria let out a soft whimper, and Lorelai reached down to tickle her chin.

"Come on, I know you're hungry," Lorelai murmured. "You are my daughter, after all." Victoria squirmed for a moment, but finally turned her head to Lorelai's chest. After a moment she began eagerly sucking, and Lorelai smiled proudly. "There she goes."

"Does it feel like she's eating?" the nurse asked quietly.

"Yeah, she's having a regular feast," Lorelai confirmed. She glanced at Luke, who was standing frozen in the middle of the room, his arms crossed stiffly across his chest. Deciding to take pity on him, she offered the nurse a grateful smile. "I'll page you if we need anything."

With an understanding smile, the nurse left the room and closed the door quietly behind her.

"You're going to have to get used to me breastfeeding," Lorelai informed her husband as he slowly turned towards her.

He shook his head as his eyes traveled down to Victoria, then back up to Lorelai's face. "It doesn't bug me," he said.

"Uh huh, and that's why if I slapped a furry hat and red uniform on you, you'd be ready to guard Buckingham Palace," Lorelai commented.

"It doesn't," he insisted. "It's the…doctors and stuff."

Lorelai nodded sympathetically. "I know you hate being here," she said softly. "We're very glad that you're facing your fears for us."

Luke offered her a small smile. "Not the first time," he said.

"And it's been appreciated every time," Lorelai said. "Come sit with us."

Without pause, Luke sat down beside her on the bed. He leaned back against the pillows beside Lorelai and smiled as she leaned her head against his shoulder. His head leaned against hers, and he gently reached out to run his fingers over Victoria's blanket covered feet. "She's doing okay?" he asked.

"Healthy appetite, just like Mommy," Lorelai said, smiling down at the baby.

"God help me."

Lorelai giggled, but couldn't help marveling at the evolved Luke beside her. For a man who'd once requested that she tell a woman to stop breastfeeding in his diner, it was amazing that he was now so close to the scenario without blinking an eye.

Victoria detached from Lorelai for a moment and let out a contented sigh. She rested for a moment before she turned her head and latched on again.

"I hope you're ready to feed another Gilmore," Lorelai said as she gently elbowed Luke's stomach.

"Hopefully I'll be able to get her to eat a vegetable once in awhile," Luke sighed.

"Good luck," Lorelai scoffed. She smiled as Victoria pulled away again, and offered the baby to Luke. "Burp her?"

Uncertainty flashed across Luke's face. "I don't know…" he said.

Lorelai tilted her head in concern. "Luke, you've been fighting me to hold her all day," she said. "When Rory went over her fifteen minute allotment I thought you were going to kick her out of the room."

"Yeah, but…I've never burped a kid before."

"Yes you have, you did it to Henry like a week ago," Lorelai said.

"I've never done if for _my_ kid before."

Lorelai smiled softly. "Luke, if I could figure this out by myself as a sixteen year old who'd never held a baby, you can do it now," she said. "You've taken care of Doula and Henry, I'm here, and you've been preparing for this for months."

"What if I hurt her?"

"Then I kill you." Lorelai finally decided that Luke wasn't going to respond to the logic card, so she turned to the practical one. "Would you at least hold her? I'm getting cold here."

Luke's eyes widened and he reached for Victoria, cradling her gently in his arms. Lorelai shifted her shirt back over her shoulder and buttoned it again. Turning back to Luke, she smiled softly. "Lift her onto your shoulder," she said gently. Luke paused before he carefully did so, and then began patting Victoria's back gently. "It's not so hard, is it?" Lorelai asked.

Luke turned his head slightly to look at her. "Not yet," he said.

Lorelai held up her left hand. "Too late to back out now," she said. "If the rings weren't promise enough, we've now got a permanent flesh and blood bond."

"Don't want to back out," Luke confirmed. Victoria let out a soft cough from his shoulder, and he visibly relaxed. "Good job, sweetheart."

Lorelai watched the two of them together for a moment before she said, "We should tell her her story."

"Her story?"

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded. "Every year, on her birthday, we'll wake her up at 5:22 and tell her this story. I was a little distracted this morning, so we can do a twelve hour delay this year."

Familiar with Lorelai's tradition with Rory, Luke smiled softly. He lowered Victoria back down and stretched his legs out on the bed beside Lorelai's. She watched as he leaned to rest Victoria on her lap, then ran a hand over her hat covered head. "Where should we start?" he asked.

"From the beginning," Lorelai said.

"The morning a coffee crazed lunatic tore through my diner?" Luke asked.

Lorelai giggled. "Be nice, that 'lunatic' blood now runs through hers too," she said.

Luke turned to flash her a smile. He leaned down to offer Victoria his index finger, watching as she grasped a tiny fist around it. "The first time I met your mom, I was at work in the diner, which we'll show you very soon. I was in the middle of the breakfast rush, and this crazy woman came in demanding coffee…"

Leaning her head back against the pillows, Lorelai listened to the comforting voice of her husband recounting their story to their daughter. He highlighted their first adventure with Rory, the milestones they'd accomplished together, and the additions of Paul Anka and April into their family. As he approached their wedding, he heard him say, "And your mom made me an incredible book, filled with all these memories that you can look at when you get home."

"You'll be featured heavily in future pages," Lorelai promised. She glanced at Luke, then took over for some of the story. "After Daddy and I got married, we decided that we were finally ready for you. We moved into a new house, the same house he grew up in, and tried very hard to make sure that you came along."

"You first made yourself known on what would have been our honeymoon," Luke said to Victoria. "We thought your mom was seasick, but it turns out, you didn't particularly like the ocean air."

"Which we hope changes now that you're out in the real world," Lorelai said. "Because we have a beautiful boat waiting to take you on all kinds of adventures."

"That we do," Luke agreed. Picking up the story, he said, "On Father's Day, Mom decided that she was going to tell me that you were coming. It was one of the best moments of my life."

Lorelai recalled the expression of wonder that had appeared on Luke's face when he'd realized that his father's day card had in actuality been an ultrasound. "And even though you made me fat and have crazy emotions, Daddy took good care of both of us," Lorelai said. "He even faced his fear of doctors and hospitals to watch you being born."

"Your big sisters were waiting here all night too," Luke said. "They're both very pretty and very smart, and so are you. They'll both watch out for you."

"We're so glad you're here, sweet girl," Lorelai whispered, taking Victoria's hand and waving it slightly. "We've wanted you for a long time, but it was completely worth the wait. We love you so much."

Luke leaned in to press a kiss to Lorelai's temple. "Don't worry," he said, turning his attention back to Victoria. "I'll make sure you grow up normal in our insane town."

"Don't listen to Daddy," Lorelai giggled. "Stars Hollow is perfect."

"Perfectly annoying," Luke muttered, but couldn't fight the smile coming across his face. Glancing down at Victoria, he observed, "We put her to sleep."

"That was the point," Lorelai murmured. She leaned forward and pulled Victoria into her arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I love her so much, Luke."

"I love her too," he agreed.

Lorelai's eyes filled with tears as she turned to look at him. "I don't want you to think that I wasn't happy when Rory was born," she said. "I was, but…it's different this time. Not better, but different."

"We were ready," Luke said. Tilting his head to the side, he observed his daughter and said, "We're grown ups, we planned for her."

"I'm so happy it's you," Lorelai whispered. "To pick anyone to be a dad to my kids, both of them, it would always be you."

"Rory and I were talking while you were sleeping," Luke murmured.

"About what?" Lorelai asked.

Luke sighed into her hair. "She asked me to drop the step part of stepdaughter," he admitted.

Lorelai's eyes filled with fresh tears and she didn't even try to fight them from spilling down her face. "Oh my god," she whispered. "What did you say?"

"I said yes," Luke said as if the answer was obvious. "She's my daughter, Lorelai, as much as April and Victoria."

"Take her," Lorelai said, holding Victoria out to him. Luke quickly obliged, and Lorelai buried her face in her hands, taking several deep breaths. The tears were flowing freely as she tried to gasp air into her lungs.

"Lorelai?" Luke asked, starting to panic slightly at her reaction. He hadn't thought his conversation with Rory was much of a revelation; he'd looked after her as a daughter since before he'd ever kissed Lorelai. But his wife was doubled over with sobs wracking her body, desperately trying to breathe, and he had no idea why.

Pressing a soft kiss to Victoria's head, he slid off the bed and lowered his sleeping daughter into the crib at the foot of the bed. Turning back to Lorelai, he resumed his position beside her and took her into his arms. "What's this?" he asked when she had finally calmed down enough to breathe.

"I don't…" Lorelai swallowed hard. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

"I've always loved Rory, you know that."

"Yeah, but…" Lorelai sighed as she squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't know, it's probably my out of whack hormones, but just hearing you call her your daughter was just…you've never said that before."

Luke was starting to get confused. "Have I ever treated her like less?" he asked quietly.

"No, I've never thought that you loved her less, I just…I wanted this for so long," Lorelai said. "All of it. A real father for Rory, a strong, stable marriage, more kids. It's so unbelievable that it's actually here. And then you tell me that Rory, my strong, brilliant, amazing daughter, asked to be your _daughter,_ no in between. I'm just…a tired, emotional mess and you spring that on me."

"Sorry," he murmured.

She shook her head firmly. "God, Luke, you don't have to be sorry," she said. "I know I've always been…Wonder Woman, but I wouldn't have Victoria if it wasn't for you. Or April. God knows where Rory would be if you'd never been able to get her through her culinary arts classes."

Luke laughed slightly and ran his hand over her back. "I think she'd have done okay," he said.

"You never know," Lorelai said. "She could have been so depressed over her failed cooking grade that she turned to a life of drugs and street crime. Then she'd have dropped out of Stars Hollow High and taken to life on the streets, at which point she'd never have gotten into Chilton or Yale, meaning that she'd be living life as an impoverished nomad, always regretting that she'd never learned to cook, wishing she'd had a strong, flannel clad man to show her exactly how to…"

"Okay, I've got the picture," Luke said. "You're more than a stepmom to April too. Let's just call it even?"

Lorelai nodded and tilted her head up to look at him. "Deal," she said. She sighed as she leaned into him. "I'm tired," she admitted.

"Sleep," Luke requested softly.

"You have to sleep too," Lorelai whispered. "You haven't slept at all."

Luke pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I didn't have a baby," he said.

"Still need sleep," Lorelai's voice was growing heavy. "Need to cook. Change diapers. Get me coffee."

"Go to sleep, beautiful girl," Luke whispered. "I'll be right here."

XXXXX

"Lorelai, for god's sake, this is ridiculous," Emily complained the following morning as mother and daughter stood side by side in front of the nursery window.

"Come on, Mom, just tell me which baby you think is prettiest," Lorelai said. She was enjoying the frustration on her mother's face as Emily leaned forward, trying to read the tiny printed names on each crib.

"Would you just tell me which one is my granddaughter?" Emily requested.

Lorelai shrugged and gestured to the window. "I already told you, she's the prettiest girl in there," she said. "There are only five of them, and she's prettier by like a hundred levels, so I'm starting to get concerned about your vision."

Emily huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Where is your father?" she asked.

"With Luke, looking at the car seat," Lorelai rolled her eyes. "He's had three different police stations, Jackson, Rory, April, and E-every person in town look at it to see if it's installed correctly and he's _still_ paranoid." With a cringe, Lorelai waited to see if her mother would notice her near-mention of Ethan's name. Her daughter would never forgive her if she was the one to tell Emily Gilmore about the Harvard man in her life.

Thankfully, Emily turned back to the nursery. "He's been quite paternal," she said in an impressed tone.

"He's definitely a paternal one, that husband of mine," Lorelai said. She followed her mother's gaze to the nursery. "So which one?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "Obviously that's her," she said, pointing to a crib in the front where Victoria was sleeping soundly.

"Obviously," Lorelai said with a proud smile. She leaned against the railing and folded her hands, resting her chin upon them as she looked at her daughter carefully. "Victoria Abigail Gilmore Danes."

"It's a beautiful name," Emily commented. She was quiet before she said, "She's in the same bed Rory slept in."

Lorelai smiled fondly. "I can be quite persuasive when I want to be," she stated.

"Where do you think you got it from?" Emily asked. "Congratulations, Lorelai. I know you've waited a long time for this."

"I have," Lorelai agreed. "It's a far cry from last time we were here, isn't it?"

Regret flashed across Emily's face. "I was worried," she said. "Surely you understand, as the mother of now three girls. Imagine how you'd feel if she tells you she's pregnant in a mere fifteen years?"

"Devastated," Lorelai admitted. She could have added more, about how if that situation did happen, she and Luke would support their daughter and let her do things her own way. Or how they'd prevent it from ever happening by keeping an open line of communication and allowing Victoria to have some freedom. But she knew her mother was trying to make amends, so she kept her mouth shut. "At least you and Dad got the Lorelai you always wanted out of it."

"Two of them," Emily sighed. "I'm very proud of you, Lorelai. Your life certainly isn't how I imagined it would be when I was looking at you through this window, but…you're happy and successful. You're a wonderful mother, you have the support of a man who loves you, and have made so many of your dreams come true. I suppose that's what I should have wanted all along."

It was a rare moment of honesty and raw emotion from Emily Gilmore, and Lorelai felt her hormones kicking into overdrive again. Trying to set the balance right in the universe, Lorelai asked, "Does this mean you're finally going to forgive me for the time I slid down the banister at Dad's fortieth birthday party?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "Certainly not, I still have no idea what gave you such a lack of decorum," she said.

"Probably using words like 'decorum' around a kid," Lorelai said. "With the exception of Rory, kids don't know words like that."

With another roll of her eyes, Emily pointed to Victoria. "Are you going to let me hold my granddaughter or did I skip my DAR meeting for nothing?" she asked in an irritated tone.

Lorelai smiled and took her mother's arm. "Follow me," she requested, pulling her towards the nursery door. "Now, just so you know, Victoria is half Luke, so there's a possibility she'll be drinking nitwit juice on her twenty first birthday. If you can't accept that, now's the time to say so."

"For god's sake, Lorelai, just open the door," Emily demanded. "I want to see my granddaughter."

XXXXX

"How is she?"

Lorelai glanced up from Victoria's sleeping form to meet Luke's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Sleeping," she said. "Probably because it's taking you four and a half years to get home."

Luke gently eased the car off the highway and began maneuvering through the streets that led to Stars Hollow. "This is the first time I've ever driven with a baby in the car," he said.

"I know, but having a newborn in the car doesn't mean you have to go five miles an hour on the highway," Lorelai informed him.

Paused at a stoplight, Luke met her gaze in the mirror again. "How about that nap you said you'd take in the car?" he asked.

Lorelai broke their gaze and turned to Victoria. "I've got better entertainment," she said. She'd opted to sit in the back with Victoria during her first car ride, and hadn't regretted the decision. Luke had been frantic at the hospital that morning, making sure that Victoria was properly bundled for the cold January weather and that Lorelai was properly prepared for the journey home. Lorelai had calmly reminded him that she had, in fact, been in a car before, and that he was being ridiculous. What she hadn't realized was there was more ridiculousness to come, as Luke had forced two doctors and three nurses, along with an ambulance driver, to check Victoria's car seat before he'd allowed her to be placed inside. When they'd finally gotten on the road, he'd barely driven the speed limit, taking twice as long to get home as it should have. Lorelai had thought his protectiveness was cute at first, but she was quickly moving towards being annoyed. She was still incredibly sore, her breasts were aching to nurse, and she was starving. She was more than ready to get home and settle in with Victoria.

"Finally," she muttered as Luke pulled into their driveway.

"Is her hat on?" Luke asked, shutting the car off and turning to look at Lorelai as she unbuckled Victoria from her car seat.

"No, I don't want all the cute boys to see her with hat hair."

"Lorelai."

"Luke, I love the protective father thing, but it's getting a little extreme," Lorelai snapped. "I'm tired and hungry, and she needs to nurse. Can you please take the child lock off the door?" Luke obliged, then stepped out of the car. He opened the back door for her and gently helped her down. "I still don't know why you had to put that stupid lock on," Lorelai muttered crankily.

"There's a child in the car."

"A child who can't lift her head," Lorelai replied. "Let alone unbuckle her car seat, unlock the door, and climb out. Not that much damage would have been done with you driving a thousand miles under the speed limit."

"Sorry," Luke sighed. "Can we put the resentment aside for one minute? We're home."

Lorelai's face melted from irritation into a warm smile, and she gently rocked Victoria. "What do you think, baby girl?" she asked. "You're finally home."

"Rory and April have lunch inside," Luke said, gently guiding Lorelai inside. "I'll get the bags later."

Lorelai followed him towards the porch and said, "I'm sorry I snapped."

"Don't be sorry, you're tired, I get it," Luke shrugged as he opened the front door.

"Welcome home!" Rory and April were both standing in the foyer. At their excited greetings, Victoria's eyes snapped open and she began to wail loudly.

Lorelai smiled apologetically at her oldest daughters as she rocked her youngest gently. "It's okay, Victoria, your sisters are just excited that you're finally home," she said. "Look at the sign they made you." She glanced up at the welcome home sign hanging from the stairs and added, "She's a little overwhelmed I guess."

"I'll take her," Luke said, having already shed his coat.

"She's probably hungry," Lorelai replied.

Luke gathered Victoria in his arms. "Just until you get your coat off and sit down," he said. "You heard the doctor, you've got to rest."

"Uh huh, and the walk from the car to the front door was a great stretch of my legs," Lorelai nodded. "Especially considering I could have gotten us to California in the amount of time it took you to drive home."

Luke bounced Victoria gently in his arms. "I'll be teaching you to drive," he informed her.

"Hey, I taught Rory how to drive!" Lorelai said defensively. "And myself, I might add, many moons ago."

"It's true," Rory nodded. "One of my first memories is being strapped into the car seat in the back while Mom took her driving test with Mia's car."

Lorelai nodded proudly. "See?" she said, pointing to Rory. "I waited until she was old enough to observe me. Except for that time I drove myself to the hospital to give birth to her."

"And how many tickets have you gotten in the twenty years you've been driving?" Luke asked suspiciously.

"Just five or so."

"Hundred," Rory muttered under her breath.

Lorelai frowned as she turned to April. "By the way, you're my favorite kid," she said.

April giggled. "I won't complain," she said.

"Yep, you never made me fat or clawed your way out of my insides," Lorelai continued as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Automatic rise to the top."

"So I painted your toenails when you broke your leg for nothing?" Rory asked.

"Pretty much," Lorelai nodded. She walked into the living room and gently lowered herself onto the couch. "God, it feels good to be here," she sighed. She looked around the room and stated, "It feels like I've been gone for years."

"We took good care of the place," Rory nodded.

"Thanks," Lorelai sighed. She turned to Luke, who was lingering by the fireplace with Victoria. "Is she calming down?"

"Yeah," Luke nodded. He glanced at April and Rory and cleared his throat. "She might be hungry though."

Lorelai sighed as she stared up at the ceiling. "We should have brought her right upstairs," she said.

"Can't you feed her here?" April asked.

"I can, but I want her to see her room," Lorelai said. "Plus, there's a really comfortable chair up there, made by your favorite father."

"Do you want to bring some food up with you?" Rory asked. "Sookie stopped by to drop off enough food to last until her first birthday, by the way."

"I'm good, sweets, but thanks," Lorelai said. "Once she's settled I'll come back down and thoroughly enjoy said feast."

"Okay," Rory said.

Lorelai grimaced as she pushed herself off the couch. "I'm fine," she said as Luke opened his mouth. "You don't need to ask me every ten seconds if I'm okay."

Luke clamped his mouth shut as he watched her move slowly towards the door. "Okay," he said. Looking down at Victoria, he murmured, "I hope you're not as stubborn as your mother."

"You're one to talk," Lorelai muttered. She stood at the bottom of the steps with a look of determination on her face before she grasped onto the banister and took a slow, painful step onto the first step.

"Lorelai…"

"Hey," she turned to look at him. With her on the step and him on solid ground, she was eye level to him. "I love you for being so concerned, Luke. It's a far cry from last time I did this, and I appreciate it. But I'm a big girl. I just gave birth, I'm going to be in a little bit of pain. I promise I'll tell you the second it's something to worry about, but please stop hovering."

Luke sighed deeply. "I'm going to worry," he told her. Seeing her worn-out expression, he quickly added, "I'll try to back off."

She leaned forward to kiss him, mindful of the baby squirming in his arms. "Thank you," she said.

Luke nodded towards the stairs. "Let's show her her room," he said.

"Let's," Lorelai agreed. Once they'd reached the closed door to Victoria's room, she turned to Luke and leaned closer to her daughter. "Welcome home, sweet girl," she murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.

She opened the door and smiled as she watched Luke walk into the room, tilting Victoria to get a better view. "What do you think, sweetheart?" he murmured. "Mom and I worked hard on making it perfect for you."

"That we did," Lorelai said. "Daddy built you a crib and a rocking chair. Only thing he's ever made for me is a chuppah."

Luke rolled his eyes. "The chuppah she's kept in her yard for years and _insisted_ we get married under," he said to Victoria.

She responded by scrunching her face and letting out a loud wail. Lorelai smirked triumphantly at Luke. "See, she knows you're being mean to me," she said as she sat down in the rocking chair. "She needs to eat."

Luke handed Victoria to her, then jerked his thumb towards the door. "I'll go get the bags from the car," he said.

"Thanks, hon," Lorelai said. "She'll probably fall asleep for a bit, at which point I can eat like a normal human again."

Shaking his head, Luke turned towards the door and muttered, "Like that's ever happened before."

"I heard that," Lorelai called before she turned back to Victoria. "Don't worry, Victoria, Daddy and I like to tease each other. You'll get used to it."

XXXXX

"She's perfect, Lorelai," Sookie said the next afternoon. She was seated on Lorelai's couch, cradling the baby in her arms.

"I know she is," Lorelai said as she stifled a yawn.

"How are you?" Sookie asked with a sympathetic smile.

"Okay," Lorelai said. "She actually only woke up twice during the night. Hopefully she'll keep that habit."

"I hope so too," Sookie said. "Where's Luke?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Kirk was here at 6:30 this morning to deliver well wishes," she said. "He rang the doorbell and woke all of us up. Waking me and Rory at that hour is bad enough, but factor in a two day old baby who fell asleep an hour before, and you've got a very angry Daddy. He went to Taylor's to convince him to stop the meal wagon they set up for us at the town meeting."

Sookie shook her head. "Don't they know you're married to one of the town's best cooks and best friends with the other?" she said.

"If anyone doesn't know that by now, we should consider having them committed," Lorelai said. She looked up when Rory walked out of the library, an empty coffee cup in her hand. "Hey, sweets, how's it going?"

"I'm good," Rory said. "Need a refill. Hey, Sookie."

"Hi, honey," Sookie said with a smile. "How's it feel to be a big sister?"

Rory smiled as she leaned over Sookie to look at Victoria. "Really good," she said. "Can I take her?"

"Sure," Sookie said.

With a smile, Rory took Victoria into her arms and settled into the armchair beside the couch. "So, little sister, what do you think of our friend Sookie? She's the one to go to for baked goods, but don't tell our dad that."

Sookie's eyebrows raised exponentially, but Lorelai shook her head slightly. With the frenzy of Victoria's homecoming, she and Rory hadn't had a chance to talk alone yet. Her emotions were still slightly off kilter, but she needed to hear Rory's reasoning behind her request to Luke.

Sensing the need for mother and daughters to have some time alone, Sookie reached for her bag. "I've got to get going," she said. "Don't worry about the inn, everything is going perfectly. Michel's actually doing a great job."

"Thanks, Sookie," Lorelai said. She stood and hugged her tightly. "And thanks for the food. Luke's been a little too distracted to cook lately."

Sookie smiled as she leaned down to get a final glance at Victoria. "Who can blame him, he's got a beautiful newborn daughter," she said. "Bye, sweetie."

"Bye, Sookie," Rory said, not lifting her eyes from her sister.

Lorelai watched as Sookie disappeared from the room, then gingerly lowered herself back onto the couch. She watched Rory rock Victoria for a long moment before she observed, "She loves you."

"I'm glad," Rory said. "I was a little nervous about that."

"She's a smart girl," Lorelai said. "That Lorelai Gilmore wrath is not one to be taken lightly, she already knows that."

Rory smiled as she met her mother's eyes. "Hopefully she'll never experience it," she said.

"Not if she's anything like her sister," Lorelai said. She was quiet for a moment, then commented, "So Luke told me you two had an interesting conversation at the hospital."

A faint blush came over Rory's features. "I figured he would," she said. "Is that okay?"

"Of course," Lorelai said. "I guess I just want to hear your side of things."

Rory shrugged. "Well, it's not like I'm asking him to adopt me or anything, it's too late for that," she said. "He's never made me feel less important than April or Victoria, and ever since you guys got together for real, I've actually felt like I've had a father. He's protected me, embarrassed me, encouraged me, fought with me, supported me, made me laugh, given me advice…everything a dad's supposed to do."

Lorelai smiled as she scooted over on the couch. "Come here," she said. Rory obliged, and when she was seated beside her mother, Lorelai reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm glad you realize how much Luke loves you."

"I guess I didn't really consider how much the whole _stepfather_ thing bugged me until I saw him with Victoria," Rory said softly. "You were sleeping and April and I went to the nursery with him to watch Victoria. The nurse asked if we were Victoria's sisters, and Luke introduced us as his daughter and stepdaughter. It doesn't really make sense, but it stung a little."

"Felt a little left out?" Lorelai asked.

"I guess," Rory shrugged. "It's just…April and Victoria are _his,_ and maybe I'm being childish. But once the nurse took April to look at the medical equipment, I just…asked him to drop the step. I told him he could introduce me as his daughter, and I'd introduce him as my dad. He didn't even pause, just said okay."

Lorelai smiled. "He doesn't say that to just anyone, you know," she said.

"He's always said that to you," Rory said.

"Yes, but I'm the queen of his universe," Lorelai smiled.

Rory smiled. "It's not like anything's going to change," she said. "I just…don't want to be a stepdaughter anymore."

Lorelai nodded slowly. She looked at Rory's expression carefully before she asked, "Not to be the pessimist here, but what about Chris?"

"What about him?" Rory asked.

"He has a habit of popping up," Lorelai commented.

"I know," Rory said. "But he's been even more absent than usual. He called me the week after my birthday, and I haven't heard from him since. Not after the election, not for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It's been regular radio silence, like it was when I was a kid."

"I'm sorry, hon," Lorelai sighed. "I know how hard that must be for you."

"It's really not," Rory said. "I mean, it was always nice when he was around, but I never… missed him when he wasn't. Maybe there was a time that I wanted him to come around more, but it was more the idea of having a father than _him."_

Lorelai was quiet for a moment. "You're an adult, Rory, and I don't want to tell you how to live your life," she said.

"You're my mom, I want your advice," Rory replied.

"Okay," Lorelai said. "Speaking as someone who cut off her parents for a significant amount of time…it doesn't always work out the way you want it to."

Rory narrowed her eyes at her. "I'm sorry, I think Luke may have taken the wrong Lorelai home from the hospital," she said. "It sounds like you're telling me you regret running away and think I should pursue a relationship with Dad."

"I'm not saying either of those things," Lorelai said quickly. "I'll never regret coming to Stars Hollow. And as far as your dad goes, you know that he and I are done, over, forever. I'll see him if it involves you, but there are no more strings. They were cut a long time ago, for me at least."

"I know," Rory said. "It's just weird, to see Victoria and think that we have different dads. We might have different fathers, but we share a _dad."_

Lorelai swallowed her tears and smiled through them. "You're not going to hear me complain about that," she said. "You're a good kid, Rory Gilmore."

"Thanks, Mom," Rory said with a small smile.

"So…" Lorelai paused, trying to think of how to phrase her question. "Is Daddy Luke officially Dad now?"

"I don't know that I'll ever bridge that gap," Rory said honestly. "But he seems to like being Daddy Luke."

"He does," Lorelai confirmed.

"Plus, I'm the only one who calls him that, which makes me special," Rory said with a confident nod.

Lorelai laughed. "I've taught you well," she said.

"Yes, you have," Rory agreed. She looked down at Victoria. "Make sure you pay attention, baby sister. Mom's got a lot to teach you."

They both jumped at the sound of the front door slamming shut, and Luke strode into the living room purposefully. "I'm going to kill Taylor," he announced.

Victoria let out a loud cry from Rory's arms, and Lorelai quickly collected her into her arms. "Not before I kill you," she snapped as she stood and began pacing back and forth. "Shh, baby girl, it's okay. You'll just have to wake Daddy up tonight as payback."

"Sorry," Luke sighed, tossing his hat onto the coffee table.

Lorelai glared at him. "Sorry doesn't mean anything when you wake a sleeping baby," she stated. She bounced Victoria in her arms and said, "Like it or not, you're going to have to get used to this. Daddy isn't as nice to everyone as he is to us, but he really didn't mean to scare you."

Victoria's cries began to subside, and Lorelai turned to Luke. "Okay, now that she's calmed down, tell us what happened," she requested. "I've been cut off from town gossip for a million weeks."

"I told him he had to stop sending people over here," Luke said. "That we have a kid, but we're still perfectly capable of feeding ourselves."

"You mean _you're_ capable of feeding _us,"_ Rory interjected from the couch.

"Not the point," Luke said. "Taylor responded by telling me that we have a responsibility to the town to let people see Victoria because she's a legacy."

Lorelai nodded as she considered the idea. "Well, she kind of is," she said.

"Are you _agreeing_ with Taylor?" Luke's voice began to rise again.

"Okay, I'll tell you right now that if you make her cry again you'll be sleeping on the couch for the foreseeable future," Lorelai said.

Inhaling sharply, Luke placed his hands on his hips and stared at the ceiling. "Do you think Taylor's right?" he asked, more calmly this time.

"Careful, Mom," Rory advised from the couch. "I've already counted eight shades of red."

Luke turned to glare at her. "We don't need comments from the peanut gallery," he stated.

Rory responded by turning her head to Lorelai expectantly. Her eyes were sparkling, and she was clearly enjoying the interaction.

"I'm not saying he's right," Lorelai said. "At least not about us having an obligation to show her off. Pretty as she is, she's still getting used to being here with us. But she is a legacy."

"Don't tell me you're buying into that crap," Luke said.

"Ten!" Rory cried, then clasped her hand over her mouth. "Sorry."

Lorelai offered Rory an amused smile, then looked down at Victoria. "From what I hear, the last Victoria Danes was pretty popular around town," she said. "So regardless of our being 'the greatest love story Stars Hollow has ever seen,' this little girl's now the reigning Victoria Danes."

With a softened expression, Luke looked at her carefully. "I guess so," he agreed quietly.

"I have no doubts she'll rise to the occasion," Lorelai said as she placed Victoria into Luke's arms.

He smiled down at her and commented, "It's amazing how holding a baby calms you down," he marveled.

"Wow, if that was all it took I should have let you impregnate me years ago," Lorelai said with a fond smile. She ran a hand over his arm and murmured, "Taylor will back off. He's definitely insane, but I think he's trying to help."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Help the town," he muttered.

Victoria squirmed slightly in his arms, and Lorelai patted his arm. "Waking her up means you're in charge of changing the diaper," she said.

"Fair enough," Luke said. "Let's get you cleaned up, sweetheart."

Lorelai watched affectionately as he walked Victoria out of the room. Turning to Rory, she asked, "What was the final count?" she asked.

"Eleven shades of red," Rory confirmed. "Respectable, but certainly not as amusing as the time you made all the to go cups at the diner say Duke's."

Lorelai giggled as she sat down beside Rory. "Best way to pass the time while snowed in at the diner," she confirmed. "Well, with you there at least."

Rory made a face. "Just so you know, it will never not be weird when you make dirty jokes about Luke," she said.

"Oh, honey, there's no joking involved," Lorelai said seriously. "That sister of yours is proof that Luke and I are honestly, very seriously, no doubts about it, very good at…"

"Gah, stop!" Rory cried, clamping her hands over her ears.

Lorelai laughed and pulled her hands down. "Okay, I'm done," she said. "It's not even fun anymore."

"Good," Rory said, stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest.

Pointing to Rory's coffee cup, Lorelai requested, "Be a good daughter and get the mommy some coffee?"

Rory looked at her skeptically. "Are you allowed to?" she asked.

"We compromised," Lorelai said, gesturing to the ceiling. "I caved while I was pregnant and had maybe three cups during the entire duration. So Luke's okay with me having some now."

"Wow, that's nice of him," Rory said.

"I _may_ have told him that my mood swings were less hormone related and more caffeine withdrawal related," Lorelai said. "He figured if it stops me from yelling at him for three hours about buying the wrong shampoo, it's worth it."

"Did that really happen?" Rory asked.

"Yes, in the very early days of being pregnant," Lorelai replied. "Now go! I'm still too feeble and fragile to do things like get coffee."

Rory rolled her eyes as she stood. "Victoria's going to learn to make coffee before she learns to read, isn't she?" she asked.

"Well, if you want to stick around we can find out," Lorelai said. "My priorities are definitely coffee."

"It's good to know some things never change," Rory called over her shoulder as she walked towards the kitchen.

Lorelai sighed as she leaned back into the couch cushions. Even through her exhaustion and soreness, she had to admit that there was something almost therapeutic about the routine their family had already settled into. April had returned to school, but Rory was still around for another week before she left for her new job. With Luke upstairs taking care of their daughter, Lorelai felt loved and well cared for, in a way she wasn't sure she ever had before.

"I could so get used to this," she muttered as she pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and pulled it over her body.

XXXXX

Hours later, Luke sat on the edge of their bed as he watched Lorelai pace the expanse of their bedroom, trying to soothe Victoria back to sleep. She was screaming at the top of her lungs, and had been doing so for over half an hour, causing both of her parents to border on panic.

"Are you sure she's not hungry?" Luke asked over the wails.

"Yes, I'm sure," Lorelai snapped. "I tried to feed her twice, she's not interested."

"What about her diaper?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Do you think that wasn't my next guess?" she asked. "It's fine, clean and dry."

"Don't yell at me, I'm just trying to figure out what's wrong with her," Luke said.

"And I'm having a tea party here," Lorelai said sarcastically. She bounced Victoria slightly in her arms. "She's not even two weeks old, what if there's something wrong?"

"Should I call the doctor?" Luke asked as he stood, moving to Lorelai's side.

Lorelai pressed her lips to Victoria's forehead, lingering for a moment longer than necessary. "I can't tell if she feels warm," she said, holding her up for Luke to feel.

He repeated Lorelai's actions, letting a hand rest on her shoulder as he did so. "She doesn't feel it," he sighed. "Want me to take her for a bit?"

"Please," Lorelai said. "I have to pee."

She scurried off into the bathroom, and Luke looked down at his screaming daughter, feeling his heart ache. It must have been so frustrating for her, to need something and not be able to communicate it through anything but tears and screams.

Their bedroom door creaked open, and April poked her head in. "Dad?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep and her eyes bleary behind her glasses.

"Hey, kid, sorry," Luke said sympathetically. "We're trying to calm her down."

April shuffled forward. "Did Lorelai feed her?" she asked.

"Not hungry, and her diaper's dry," Luke sighed.

April frowned. "Did you burp her properly after she ate last?" she asked. "Maybe she has indigestion."

Luke looked at her skeptically as he raised Victoria to his shoulder and began patting her back. "When did you learn so much about babies?" he asked.

"Since I'm in a human biology class this semester," April reported.

"Oh, right," Luke said. "Lack of sleep is effecting my memory."

April looked at Victoria and made a face. "I don't think it's working," she said.

"Me either," Luke sighed.

Lorelai walked out of the bathroom, her face falling when she saw April standing in front of Luke. "Oh, sweetie, did she wake you?" she asked. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," April said. "I just want to make sure she's okay."

"Maybe we should try changing her clothes," Luke said. "There could be a tag or something that's scratching her."

"Worth a try," Lorelai sighed. Turning to April, she said, "Try to go to sleep. You've got that vocabulary test tomorrow. Maybe if you put headphones on it will drown her out."

April shrugged. "I already know I'll get an A," she said.

"So modest, just like your father," Lorelai said. She guided April towards the door and said, "Go get your beauty sleep, and we'll make sure the screaming stops as soon as possible."

"Night," April called as Lorelai and Luke disappeared into Victoria's room.

"Okay, maybe she doesn't like the onesies," Lorelai mused as she opened the closet. "I think I got a set of pajamas as one of my shower gifts, but I probably put them on the top shelf. I didn't think we'd need them yet."

Luke watched with concern as she stood on her tiptoes to reach for a box on the top shelf. "Lorelai…"

"I'm fi…ow, damn it!" Lorelai gasped as she felt a jolt of pain snap through her body. The box was much heavier than she'd anticipated, and she was unable to either get a good grip on it or shove it back onto the shelf. "Help!"

Luke immediately turned to place Victoria into the crib before he eased the box out of Lorelai's hands and dropped it onto the floor. "Sit down," he ordered, guiding her to the rocking chair. "You're not Super Woman, you've got to give yourself time to recover."

"That's what I was trying to do, but Victoria clearly didn't like that plan," Lorelai said, leaning her head back against the wooden frame of the rocking chair. "I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Luke asked. "Where does it hurt?"

"It was just in my stomach," Lorelai said. "Everything's still settling back into place, stretching like that probably just threw things off again."

"Do you need the heating pad?" Luke asked, thoroughly unconvinced of her proclamation.

"Maybe once she calms down," Lorelai sighed. She braced herself against the arms of the chair and pushed herself to stand. Walking towards Victoria's crib, she mused, "she looks a little calmer."

Luke paused from where he'd turned to open the box he'd set aside. "She's not quite as loud," he added.

Lorelai reached into the crib and smiled softly as she saw Victoria lying on her back, her face no longer quite as scrunched as it had been. "You like your room, angel?" she whispered. "Was that what this was all about?"

"Should we leave her?" Luke appeared at Lorelai's side and watched as she ran a gentle hand over their daughter's stomach.

"Maybe," Lorelai whispered. "She shouldn't be on her back though, in case she spits up. Is it worth flipping her?"

"What's the worst that can happen, she starts crying?" Luke suggested. "It's not like she'll be louder than she was."

Lorelai nodded slowly. "You do it," she said, stepping out of the way.

"Uh huh, make me the bad guy," Luke muttered, but flashed her a small smile as he leaned over the crib. "Okay, sweetheart, I'm just going to turn you onto your stomach, no need to get upset again."

Victoria whimpered slightly as Luke turned her over, but quickly quieted when she was settled on her stomach. She tapped her arm slightly against the ocean fabric of the mattress pad that Lorelai had sewed, but then began to relax.

Lorelai leaned down to place a teddy bear beside Victoria, and Luke rolled his eyes at the sight of it. "Where the hell did you get that?" he asked.

Lorelai giggled as she took in the bear dressed in a blue plaid flannel and a backwards baseball hat. "There's a factory at the mall," she said. "Rory made it for her."

Luke shook his head slightly, but then peered over the edge of the crib. "Is she sleeping?" he whispered.

Listening for a moment, Lorelai took in Victoria's deep breaths and nodded. She flipped on the baby monitor, then pushed Luke gently out of the room. "Well, we've got her into her own room _way_ before I thought we would," she commented. "Must be the cozy crib Daddy built."

"I'm glad she likes her room," Luke sighed. As they approached their own room, he collapsed onto the bed. "Think she'll let us sleep through the night?"

Taking a gentler approach to getting into bed, Lorelai eased the covers back and slid under them. She glanced at the clock and stated, "Well, considering you usually wake up in fifteen minutes, there's a good chance."

Luke tugged on her arm and pulled her to lie down beside her. "I'm not going to work," he told her.

Lorelai turned on her side to face him, their heads sharing the same pillow. "You're not?" she asked quietly, reaching for his hand.

He played gently with her fingers. "You may have to kick me out of the house if I ever have to go back," he sighed.

"Well, I do need Luke's coffee," Lorelai said with a smile. "You have to go back to work eventually."

"Let's not rush it," he requested.

"Okay," Lorelai sighed. She scooted closer to him and smiled. "It's been awhile since I could get this close."

Luke let go of her hand to rub her hip affectionately. "I missed it," he informed her.

"We can't…"

"I know," Luke said quickly. "I don't expect you to. But it's nice just to be close to you again. It's been too long since we even did this."

"You've been very patient," Lorelai said, running her hand over his arm. "Maybe tomorrow I'll find time to give King Arthur some special attention."

Luke laughed, but shook his head. "You don't have to," he said.

"I know I don't _have_ to," Lorelai said. "And I'll tell you right now you won't be rounding any bases. But I happen to know that there are other things that you enjoy almost as much." She giggled as Luke reached out to trail his fingers over her lips. "See, you know you want it."

"I always want it," Luke murmured. "I just don't want you to feel pressured."

"I don't," Lorelai said. "It's going to be awhile until we can jump back in, but that doesn't mean you have to suffer."

"No suffering here," Luke countered. "Quite the opposite."

"Basking in the presence of my post pregnancy body?" Lorelai whispered.

"You think you're kidding," Luke murmured.

"Uh, I know I am," Lorelai said. "I'm not exactly lust worthy yet."

Luke shifted and shook his head. "Let's go to sleep," he suggested.

"Oops, sorry," Lorelai said, looking down at his sweatpants. "I really wasn't trying to, I promise!"

Luke sighed as he kicked his legs under the covers and pulled them over himself. "Well, you exist, so that's enough right there," he muttered.

"That's almost romantic, Butch," she laughed. "Am I allowed to kiss you, or should we put a pillow in the middle of the bed so you're not tempted?"

Luke shook his head as he kissed her gently, then reached to turn his light off. "Goodnight, beautiful girl."

"Night," Lorelai sighed. She turned off her own light, then settled into the pillows beside him. "Luke?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think she's okay?"

She felt Luke lift his head, and followed his gaze to the baby monitor on her night table. "Sounds it," he confirmed.

"Okay," she whispered. She settled back down against him, then turned onto her side to look at his outline in the moonlight streaming in from the window. "Luke?"

He let out a frustrated sigh and stated, "and you were wondering where she got the 'keeping me awake' gene."

"Sorry," Lorelai sighed. "Never mind."

The room was quiet for a moment before Luke sighed and requested, "Tell me."

Lorelai smiled and reached for his hand under the covers. "I'm glad we're still us," she whispered.

"Me too, beautiful girl," Luke murmured as he squeezed her hand.

"I'm done now," Lorelai announced. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

XXXXXX

Rory blinked back tears as she cradled Victoria gently in her arms. "Make sure you tell her when she's being unreasonable," she said softly. "And if they try to make you read Hemingway, just cry really loudly."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Luke muttered to Lorelai as they watched the scene play out in the front yard.

Lorelai felt tears pricking at her own eyes. "I hate this," she murmured. Rory leaned down to kiss Victoria's cheek, then turned to April, who was standing on Luke's other side. "She's moving out now. Like…really moving out. To live with a boy."

"A boy you like," Luke tried to reassure her.

"Still makes me sad," Lorelai sighed. She quickly swallowed her tears and plastered a smile on her face as Rory handed Victoria to April as Rory turned to Luke.

"Thanks for making me a sister," Rory said, wringing her hands together in front of her.

"No problem," Luke said. He shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded to the car. "Want me to look at it one more time?"

"No, I'm sure it's fine," Rory said. She was quiet for a moment, then opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it again. Instead, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Thanks, Daddy Luke."

Luke returned the hug, rubbing her back gently before she pulled back. "Call us when you get there," he requested.

"I will," Rory nodded, wiping at the corner of her eye. "I'll see you in a few weeks."

"We'll try to make a trip up," Luke said. Nodding to Lorelai, he commented, "Your mom wants to bring Victoria on her first road trip."

Rory smiled. "What better destination than Boston?" she asked.

"As long as I catch a game, I'll be good," Luke confirmed.

"Ethan's already scouting tickets," Rory confirmed. She hugged him one more time before she turned to Lorelai.

Luke squeezed Lorelai's elbow gently, then turned to April. "Let's get your sister inside," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He knew Lorelai needed to say goodbye to Rory alone.

"Well, here we are again," Lorelai sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Rory mirrored her position with a nod. "Yeah, I guess so," she said.

"Do you want some water for the drive?" Lorelai asked. "Or snacks? I know Luke made you coffee, but maybe you'll get hungry."

With a smile, Rory shook her head. "I'll be fine, Mom," she promised. "Just make good on your word to bring my sister to visit soon."

Lorelai made an x across her chest. "Barring any major illnesses or setbacks, we'll be there," she promised. "Send me pictures of the new place."

"I will," Rory promised in return.

"And say hi to Ethan," Lorelai continued, stalling for time. "He's still got to meet the newest girl in your life."

"He will," Rory said.

Lorelai nodded slowly. "And…eat your vegetables."

Rory choked out a laugh. "Did you really just say that?" she asked.

Lorelai made a face. "Luke must be brainwashing me while I sleep," she said.

"Just make sure Victoria grows up with a fine appreciation for coffee," Rory requested.

"Duh, she has our strong Gilmore blood," Lorelai said. She reached out to pull Rory into her arms. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Mom," Rory hugged her back.

"You're all grown up now," Lorelai sighed. "But if you ever need anything, I'll always be here for you."

Rory squeezed her eyes closed. "Me too," she said. She pulled back and rested her hands on Lorelai's elbows. "Coffee buddy, travel partner, baby sitter, I'm yours."

"You'll regret that last offer," Lorelai said, smoothing Rory's hair over her forehead. "You should get going so you're there before it gets too dark."

"Okay," Rory sighed. She leaned forward to hug Lorelai one more time. Wrapping her arms tightly around her mother, she whispered, "Are you sure I have to go?"

It took everything inside Lorelai not to beg Rory to stay. For a split second, she wished that it were twenty years ago, and that their biggest problem was keeping the moonlight from streaming through the windows of the potting shed behind the Independence Inn while they slept. Things had seemed so much easier then, when it was just the two of them. They were separated a few hours a day while Rory attended school a mile away from the inn, but other than that they were inseparable.

But as cherished as those memories were, they were no longer practical. Rory was a grown up, and Lorelai had a husband and two other daughters who needed her waiting inside. She and Rory had found a new normal when she'd gone to Yale, and again while she'd been traveling the country. Being separated by a couple hours worth of driving would be much easier than that. Lorelai hoped that having Rory in Boston would be similar to having her in New Haven, when they'd seen each other multiple times a month. She had to be the strong one right now, as much as it broke her heart to do so.

"You have to go," Lorelai said. "You've got a great job waiting, honey, and a boy who loves you. Trust me, you don't want to waste time being afraid."

"I know," Rory whispered. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'm going to miss you too," Lorelai sighed. "If it helps, I can make you annoyed with me so it's easier to leave."

Rory sniffled as she pulled back. "How?" she asked.

"Remember the time I invited Dean over to movie night?" Lorelai asked. "Or the time I made out with your teacher in the middle of the school day? Or when you walked in on me and Luke during the diner's private closing special last fall?"

"Ew, okay, enough," Rory giggled. "Successfully grossed out, thank you."

Lorelai laughed, glad to have something besides sadness to feel. "Drive safely, babe," she said. "Listen to Luke, call when you get there."

"I will," Rory said. She pulled her car door open and turned to look at Lorelai one more time. "Thanks, Mom."

Tilting her head to the side, Lorelai asked, "For what?"

Rory leaned forward to hug her for a real final time. "Everything," she said.

"Oh, kid, it's been my pleasure," Lorelai murmured. She kissed her daughter's cheek and then stepped back. "Love you."

"Love you too!" Rory called before she slammed the car door closed behind her. She backed the car out of the driveway and then, with a final honk goodbye, was gone, on her way to a new life in Boston.

Lorelai inhaled a deep breath before she turned back to her house, to what her new normal would be. She slowly walked into the house and smiled when she saw Luke waiting for her with a cup of coffee. "Not even making me beg," she sighed as she took it. She inhaled the scent deeply before she took a sip. "Where's my baby?"

"April's changing her diaper," Luke said, nodding towards the living room.

"She comes in handy," Lorelai smiled.

"Yeah, she's good to have around," Luke confirmed. He reached out to play with a strand of her hair. "You okay?"

Lorelai smiled sadly. "I will be," she said honestly. "Thanks for giving us some space to say bye."

"No big deal," Luke sighed. "It already feels weird without here."

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it," Lorelai sighed. "Saying goodbye to her. It's still as hard as it was when I left her at Yale."

With a good natured eye roll, Luke muttered, "You didn't seem to have much trouble keeping my truck that weekend."

Lorelai giggled. "And yet you still stored the mattress," she said, running an affectionate hand over his face. "Thank you."

He shrugged. "About damn time you thanked me for that," he said firmly.

"Not for that," Lorelai said. "For making me smile when I'm sad."

He ran his thumb over her chin. "Glad to do it," he said.

She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, resting her hand on his arm. "No sense in being sad, we've got two other girls to raise," she said. "Come on."

Luke followed her into the living room, where April was seated on the floor, buttoning Victoria's onesie back up. "Just in time," Lorelai said with a smile. "Thanks, sweetie."

"No problem," April said as she lifted Victoria onto her shoulder. "Although I am impressed by the rate at which she goes through diapers."

Lorelai scrunched her nose. "Yeah, it's the downside of being so cute and tiny," she confirmed. "I'm sure went through a diaper or two in your day."

"Probably," April confirmed. She stood carefully, looking at Lorelai with concerned eyes. "Are you okay?"

With a smile smile, Lorelai reached out to smooth a curl from April's forehead. "Of course," she said. "I sent my big girl off to Harvard, a dream we had for many a year, and have my other two girls _and_ my guy here with me. How could I not be okay?"

April nodded. "Good," she said. She stepped forward and Lorelai took Victoria out of her arms. "I have homework to do."

"Can't you tell your teachers that you have a pretty baby at home who you'd rather play with?" Lorelai asked.

"That's not how it works," April said as she picked up a stack of books and slid the door to the library open.

Lorelai sighed and turned to look at Luke. "And then there were three," she said, gently bouncing Victoria in her arms. "One of whom may or may not lose consciousness within the hour. What do you propose we do?"

Watching as Victoria fought a yawn, Luke smirked. "How about we read her some Hemingway?" he suggested.

With a gasp, Lorelai untangled one hand from Victoria to smack his shoulder. "Rory's gone five minutes and you're already disobeying her orders!" she observed. "Just wait until I tell her."

Luke stepped closer and ran one hand over her shoulder, the other smoothing over Victoria's back. "How about we put her down for a nap and I'll teach you to bake cookies?" he suggested.

Lorelai pretended to contemplate. "Will you teach me Ghost-style?" she asked.

"Why not?" Luke shrugged.

"Then okay," Lorelai said. "Can you move the bassinet into the kitchen? I want her close."

Luke detached from her and picked up the bassinet, carrying it into the kitchen. Lorelai followed and gently pressed a kiss to Victoria's forehead. "Sleep well, baby girl," she whispered. "Daddy's going to bake Mommy cookies."

From the counter, Luke glanced over at her. "Are you planning on helping?" he asked tersely.

Lorelai smiled as she sauntered across the kitchen. "How about I just sit here and give you some eye candy?" she said, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Stir this," Luke said, shoving a bowl into her hands and pouring some vanilla into it.

With a smile, Lorelai began to stir the batter. The past three weeks had flown by, and she was starting to feel more like herself as her soreness had disappeared. She loved that having a baby and getting spotty nights' sleep hadn't changed her relationship with Luke all that much. She supposed it was the solid foundation of friendship and teasing that made it work, but she was very glad to know that some things would never change.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hopefully you guys can use this as a pick me up after the events of the past 12 hours here in the U.S. Nothing like a presidential election to get me writing like crazy.**

* * *

Lorelai leaned over Victoria's crib and rubbed her hand over her sleeping daughter's back. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"We'll be fine," Luke promised.

"I hate leaving her."

"I know."

"She just ate, but I pumped earlier if she wakes up," Lorelai said. "The bottles are in the fridge."

"I know."

"She likes to be held against your shoulder, not your chest," Lorelai continued, stroking a finger over Victoria's cheek. "If she's crying you should bounce her, not rock her."

"Lorelai, she's my daughter too," Luke reminded her gently. "I know all of this."

Lorelai sighed as she turned to him with tears in her eyes. "I know she'll be okay with you," she whispered. "I've just never left her."

Luke offered her a sympathetic smile as he reached out to twirl a strand of her hair around his finger. "She'll be okay," he promised. "You'll go to the doctor, and get the all clear, then come right home. She probably won't even wake up."

Lorelai leaned into his embrace for a moment. "Call me if anything changes," she said.

"Lorelai."

"Please, Luke," she murmured into his shirt. "This is so hard."

He ran a hand over her back and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'll call."

"Thank you," she sighed, but didn't make any effort to move.

"The sooner you go, the sooner you'll get back," Luke murmured.

Lorelai pulled back and offered him a tentative smile. "Trying to get rid of me?" she asked.

"No, just trying to give you some encouragement," he replied.

After another moment snuggled into his embrace, Lorelai turned back to the crib. "I'll be back very soon, sweet girl," she promised. "Be good for Daddy. I love you so much."

She finally turned away and Luke flipped on the baby monitor before he followed her out the door. "So…you know…good luck," he said as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

Lorelai smiled as she pulled on her pink coat. "I see now that your kid's no longer involved you're back to living in blissful ignorance of all things doctor related," she commented.

He shrugged. "Someone has to take care of her," he said.

"Who better than her doting daddy?" Lorelai sighed. She buttoned her pink coat and gestured proudly to her figure. "Another article of clothing that fits again!"

Luke reached out to take her by the waist. "You look beautiful," he told her.

"Good answer," Lorelai said. She placed her hands on his chest and leaned up to kiss him. "Call me if you need me?"

Knowing this was hard for Lorelai, Luke squeezed her gently. "Promise," he said.

Lorelai took a final deep breath and then pulled out of his arms. "Okay, I can do this," she said, turning to pull the front door open. Luke watched her walk down the steps and slide into her car, quickly backing out of the driveway and heading towards town square.

Once the car had disappeared from sight, Luke walked back into the house and shut the door behind him. He wasn't used to the house being so quiet. Between Lorelai's constant babbling, April conducting science experiments in the dining room, and the newest girl in his life proving how healthy her lungs were, it was rare for Luke to have a quiet moment to himself. He didn't mind the noise though.

He had no idea how he'd survived in that lonely apartment in the diner for so many years.

As he ambled towards the kitchen, he decided that now was as good a time as any to clean out the fridge. With April at school and Lorelai at her five week post delivery check up, there was no one to complain about which food he threw out.

Halfway through the process of cleaning out stale Chinese food and pizza, Luke heard a soft whimper come through the baby monitor. He froze and angled his head toward the machine, listening for any further sounds from Victoria. After a moment, he heard her begin to coo softly, meaning she was awake and happy. Needing no time to think twice, Luke abandoned the garbage bag of old food and headed straight for Victoria's room.

"Hey, sweetheart," he said softly as he reached into the crib to scoop her up. "Awake already, huh?"

Victoria immediately curled into his shoulder, and he bounced her slightly as he felt her diaper. "Nice and dry still," he said. "Want to read for a little bit? Your big sister Rory sent you a special Boston book."

He reached for the picture book Rory had sent the day before and then settled into the rocking chair in the corner of the room. As Victoria stared up at him, Luke immediately decided to postpone the book in favor of looking at his daughter. "You're so beautiful," he said quietly. "Just like your mom."

It was true. Victoria was growing and changing every day, and Luke was able to see more of Lorelai in her every time he looked at her. Victoria was a perfect combination of all the most important women in his life. She had Rory's big blue eyes, and when she discovered something new about the world, her expression was the same curious one he'd seen on April's face hundreds of times before. Her light brown hair was growing longer and thicker every day, and Luke could distinctly remember that same hair brushing against his cheek as his mother had leaned in to tuck him into bed decades ago.

Now alone with Victoria, he allowed himself a rare moment of self indulgence as he took in his own features that were present in her. As she blinked her beautiful blue eyes up at him, he could see her long lashes brush against her cheeks. He held his index finger out for her to grab, and saw his own long fingers reflected in her smaller fist. One day he'd position those fingers around a fishing pole as he taught her how to reel in a rod.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, admiring his daughter, but eventually her face began to crumple. "Are you getting hungry?" he asked. Over the past few weeks he'd become accustomed to Victoria's habits and mannerisms. He knew it was only a matter of minutes before she started crying. "Mom left you a bottle, let's go heat it up."

Luke made his way downstairs and into the kitchen. Holding Victoria upright against his shoulder with one arm, he easily navigated through the kitchen, pulling the bottle out of the fridge and moving it to the stove to heat it. As he waited for it to warm, he gently bounced to soothe Victoria, slightly impressed with himself. Upon bringing Victoria home from the hospital, both Lorelai and Rory had been very vocal about how much he'd changed, marveling at how comfortable he was with a newborn. Clearly they'd both been on the wrong end of his baby oriented rants many times throughout the years and had been expecting more of a transition period.

Luke had to admit, that he was impressed how _all_ of them had adjusted to Victoria's presence in their lives. Lorelai had taken to narrating her favorite movies while she nursed Victoria, April read aloud to Victoria from her various textbooks, and Rory called almost nightly to read to her baby sister through speaker phone. For his own part, Luke had adjusted to cooking with one hand, cradling Victoria in the other as he described each step of a recipe to her.

"Alright, sweetheart, time for a snack," he murmured as he picked up the bottle and walked into the living room. He settled onto the couch and offered Victoria the bottle. She quickly began consuming its contents.

As he watched Victoria eat, Luke couldn't help but reflect on how easy it had been to care for her. He'd certainly had his frustrating moments, usually including either a middle of the night wake up or an especially messy diaper change, but as a whole he loved taking care of Victoria. He speculated it would have been much more stressful without Lorelai's confidence and guidance, but he also knew that he would do anything for Victoria to be happy.

"You really were hungry," he observed as she finished the bottle with a contented sigh. He lifted her to his shoulder and gently patted her back. "I suppose you are a Gilmore after all."

She let out a soft burp and he smiled softly before he lowered her back into his arms. "I hope you turn out like your mom," he said. "Strong and successful, and able to talk to people easily. It's okay if you never feel the need to date, though."

Victoria sighed, and Luke couldn't help but shake his head. He knew that Victoria couldn't consciously react to what he was saying, but the sigh she let out was so _Lorelai_ that it seemed entirely possible that she was offering her opinion on his statement.

"How about we see if there's a basketball game on?" he suggested, reaching for the remote. He tuned into the Uconn game and muted the TV before he stretched out on the couch. "Contrary to what your mother has probably already told you, it's not just a bunch of tall guys running around in shorts."

Victoria settled her head against his chest as he held onto her tightly. The game continued to flash across the TV, but Luke found himself more interested in watching Victoria. It was the first significant amount of time they'd shared just the two of them, and he found himself wanting to enjoy it.

"We're doing okay, you and me," he murmured as he smoothed a hand over her back. She gently punched her hand against his chest and he laughed slightly. "I know you probably miss Mom, but she'll be back soon. It's kind of nice, being just the two of us for awhile, isn't it?"

Victoria responded by clutching his shirt in her tiny fist, and he leaned his head forward to press a kiss to the top of her head. He'd pictured this moment countless times before, but now in the quiet winter afternoon, Luke knew that it was better than he'd ever imagined it could be.

XXXXX

"You're obsessing."

Lorelai continued to fuss over Victoria as she leaned into the backseat of their car. "I just want her to look perfect," she told Luke, who was hovering behind her.

"You don't need to try so hard," Luke replied. "It's cold, she needs to get inside."

With a sigh, Lorelai pulled Victoria's hat tighter on her head before she lifted her out of the car seat. "Okay, you're right," she said. Luke slammed the car door shut behind her, and they walked together across the parking lot to the large office complex in front of them.

"Is it weird, being back here?" Lorelai asked as Luke held the door open for her.

"A little," he said. They walked towards the elevator, and he pushed the call button before he turned to her. "I don't have that huge pit in my stomach that I used to have," he observed.

Lorelai smiled as she bounced slightly, rocking Victoria from side to side. "It's strange," she said. "This place is so…clinical, and yet we shared so many personal things here. It's where we forgave each other and decided to move past everything."

Luke reached out to play with Victoria's long fingers. "She might not exist if you hadn't pushed me to come with you," he admitted.

"I didn't push, you volunteered," Lorelai said, pressing a soft kiss to Victoria's forehead.

"Because I was terrified of losing you again."

The elevator doors slid open and they stepped inside. Luke pushed the button for the third floor, and Lorelai turned to look at him carefully. "That first time you came, you held my hand while we were waiting for the elevator," she recalled.

"So?" Luke asked, not seeing the significance behind her memory.

"So, it told me how different things were, how willing you were to try to make things better," Lorelai said. "It was such a small moment, but before that I don't think we'd ever held hands in public. It was refreshing."

"I like holding your hand."

"Okay, Ringo."

The elevator doors slid open and they walked into Abby's office. It looked largely the same, even though it had been nearly a year since Lorelai had last been there to discuss her nightmares and fears of never having another kid.

"Welcome back!" Abby said with a smile as she approached them. She shook Luke's hand before she turned to Lorelai and commented, "What a wonderful addition we have today!"

"This is Victoria," Lorelai said, turning so Abby could see Victoria's sleeping face.

"Come on back," Abby said with a smile. "It's not often I get such happy visits at work."

They retreated into Abby's office, and Luke automatically sat down on the couch where he always had. Lorelai hovered over Abby's chair as she transferred Victoria into her waiting arms.

"Look what you guys did," Abby said in awe as she leaned back to examine Victoria closely.

"Yeah, we did pretty well," Lorelai confirmed as she sat down beside Luke and reached for his hand.

"How old is she now?" Abby asked, lifting her gaze to Lorelai's.

"Six weeks," Lorelai said proudly. "So far she's been perfect. It looks like she likes you, she's not this open to anyone holding her. When TJ first held her she cried for nearly an hour. Luke was the only one who could calm her down."

"That's because I'm the only other one who understands how irritating he is," Luke grumbled.

Abby smiled before she turned back to the baby in her arms. "Hi, Victoria," she whispered.

Lorelai glanced at Luke before she turned back to Abby and said quietly, "Victoria Abigail."

Abby's head snapped up, her eyes darting between the two of them. "Really?" she asked.

"You'll never know how much you helped us," Lorelai said. "We've come such a long way in the past two years, and without the time and resources you gave us, this little girl might not exist. So we wanted to name her Abigail."

"But you didn't have to do this," Abby insisted. "I'm sure there were plenty of other names to choose from."

Luke cleared his throat and scooted closer to Lorelai, resting a hand on her knee. "Lorelai's right," he said. "I was skeptical about coming here at first, but it was worth it. Lorelai and I are better than we've ever been because you helped us learn how to communicate with each other. This is the least we could do to say thank you."

"Well, I'm honored," Abby said. She admired Victoria for another moment before she looked up to Lorelai. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," Lorelai nodded. "She was big, so it was a hard delivery, but I'm pretty much healed now. Still shedding the pounds though."

"Well, you look great," Abby said with a smile. "I wish I'd looked as good as you do six weeks after my kids were born."

Lorelai smiled, but ducked her head down in a rare moment of self consciousness. "Thanks," she said.

Abby smiled, then looked towards Luke. "This is new for you. How are you doing?"

Out of habit, Luke let out a stressed breath and looked at the ceiling, causing both Lorelai and Abby to laugh. "This is just a casual visit, hon," Lorelai reminded him. "There will be no hashing out hurt feelings or accusations like there were before."

Luke shrugged self consciously. "It's been an adjustment," he acknowledged. "But a good one."

Lorelai smiled as she reached out to place her hand gently on his knee. "A very good one," she agreed.

"How's April?" Abby asked. "And Rory?"

"Both doing well," Lorelai confirmed. "April's been a huge help with her new sister. Having that extra pair of hands is always good. And Rory's in Boston now, working for a literary magazine at Harvard."

"Wow," Abby said, raising her eyebrows with an impressed nod. "I'm glad everything's going well."

Lorelai smiled as she leaned forward, tucking Victoria's blanket away from her face. "A far cry from where we were two years ago," she acknowledged. It had been almost exactly two years since Lorelai had swallowed her pride and first set foot into Abby's office. At that point, she and Luke were still barely speaking and she wouldn't have dared to dream that they'd be here together with a baby.

"I'm glad you came by," Abby said. "Usually people just leave me behind. It's nice to see that your hard work has paid off."

"We owe you that much," Lorelai said gently.

Abby glanced between the two of them for a moment. "I know this is a social visit, but could I offer you a piece of free advice?" she asked.

Lorelai glanced over her shoulder at Luke, who shrugged. "Sure," he said.

"Take an evening for the two of you," Abby suggested. "I completely understand why you don't want to leave Victoria, but if there's one thing my job has taught me, it's that you should take time for yourselves as well. Leave her with April or a friend, and just go to dinner for an hour or two. You don't want to lose what you've built to being parents of a newborn."

Luke had voiced similar concerns about their relationship during Lorelai's pregnancy, and she now realized that the past six weeks had flown by with very little time just the two of them. They'd both taken to stopping in for short shifts at the inn and the diner, but the other was usually home to care for Victoria. They'd ventured out for walks through town and to her parents' house for dinner a few times, but Victoria had been heavily involved in everything they did.

She didn't regret doting on their daughter, but she had to admit that an evening alone with Luke sounded nice. As he reached out to run his fingers through her hair, she could tell that he was tempted as well. "Thanks," he was saying to Abby. "We talked about that before she was born. We'll get working on it."

Abby smiled, and leaned down to look at Victoria. "She's waking up," she observed. "Her eyes are beautiful."

"Yeah, they are," Luke agreed. "Gilmore eyes."

Lorelai shook her head slightly and turned to Abby. "You probably don't recognize him," she said, nodding to Luke. "He's all romantic and emotional now."

"Babies will do that," Abby said as Victoria began to whine slightly. "It's okay, Victoria, I'm a friend."

"Give her to Luke," Lorelai suggested as he stood. "He's the one who calms her down the quickest."

Abby handed Victoria over to Luke, who began to pace the room, patting his daughter's back and murmuring soft words of comfort to her.

"He's a natural," Abby observed to Lorelai.

"Surprisingly," Lorelai said. "How fair is that, though? I spend nearly a year of my life having all kinds of painful and disgusting symptoms, only to have her like him more."

"I'm sure she loves you both equally," Abby said. "She's a beautiful baby, Lorelai, I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks," Lorelai said. "For everything. I'm sure you were completely overwhelmed by the mess that was Lorelai Gilmore when she first stumbled into your office."

"Not overwhelmed," Abby said with a smile. "I did see the challenge in front of me though."

Lorelai watched as Luke paused by the window, murmuring to Victoria while he pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders. "Sometimes it's hard to believe it's only been two years," she admitted. "It feels like we've been married and happy forever."

"That's good," Abby acknowledged. "You deserve to be happy."

Luke turned to Lorelai and cleared his throat. "She needs a diaper change," he informed her.

Lorelai flashed Abby an apologetic smile. "Sorry," she said as she reached for the diaper bag resting at her feet. "I'll bring her to the restroom."

"Don't be sorry, I'm very familiar with changing diapers in a variety of places," Abby said with a nod. She glanced at her watch and said, "I hate to kick you out, but I do have another appointment in a few minutes."

"We get it," Lorelai said as she stood, slinging the bag over her shoulder. "Since I think Luke and are I officially rid off all of our baggage, maybe we could get lunch sometime without crossing that doctor/patient conflict of interest."

"I'd like that a lot," Abby nodded. Nodding towards Victoria, she commented, "Who knows, maybe my two year old son is her soulmate."

Lorelai's eyes lit up and Luke glared at her. "Do _not_ start marrying our daughter off before she's two months old," he demanded.

"Fine, ruin all my fun," Lorelai sighed. "I'll change her diaper, and you can pull the car around so we don't have to walk in the cold."

Luke nodded and handed Victoria to her. Turning to Abby he said, "It was good seeing you, Abby."

"You too, Luke," she said warmly.

"You have my cell phone number, right?" Lorelai asked. "Give me a call and we can talk girl talk."

Abby smiled. "Sounds like a plan," she said. "Drive safely."

Fifteen minutes later, Lorelai slid into the passenger seat and glanced at Luke. "What do you think?" she asked.

"About what?" he glanced at her as he pulled the car out of the parking lot.

"About who really killed JFK," Lorelai responded immediately. He offered her an impatient glare, and she grew serious. "About leaving her with a baby sitter," she said as she pointed to the backseat.

Luke sighed and was quiet for a moment. "I don't like leaving her," he admitted. "Even going to work at the diner for a couple hours is tough, but I know you're with her."

"Yes, but when we go out you won't be flipping burgers and arguing with Taylor over changing your logo," Lorelai said. "You'll be sitting with me, engaged in witty conversation and admiring how stunningly beautiful I am."

He offered her a small side smile. "I want to," he said. "It's just…scary. When one of us goes out, she's with the other. She's never been without both of us."

"I know," Lorelai said. She was quiet for a moment as she looked out the window. "We could ask April to watch her. She knows how to take care of her, and Victoria loves her. That would probably be the easiest solution."

Luke nodded slowly. "We could," he said hesitantly.

Lorelai looked at him curiously. "What is it?" she asked.

Luke let out a long breath. "April's a kid herself," he said slowly, glancing at her to anticipate her reaction.

"So?" Lorelai asked. "Teenagers babysit all the time. And they're sisters."

"I just don't want to strap her with that," Luke said. "I don't want her to feel like we're using her."

"Okay," Lorelai shrugged. "How about we _ask_ her? If she has a lot of homework or is going out with her friends or something we can call Sookie. Or Liz. Or Lane. Geez, we've babysat for a _lot_ of people's kids. They all owe us favors."

"True," Luke nodded. He continued driving, then commented, "It will be nice, to have some time to ourselves."

"Yeah," Lorelai sighed. "Is it crazy that I feel like I miss you?"

"No," Luke shook his head. He reached out to rub his hand gently over her knee. "I miss you too."

"But we're always together."

"With a lot of diapers and bottles," Luke murmured. "Not that I regret time I've spent with Victoria, but it would be nice to spend an hour or so with you when we don't have to worry about the baby monitor."

"Yeah, it will be," Lorelai nodded. She rested her hand on top of his and squeezed it gently. "I um…got a new prescription at the doctor last week."

Luke's head snapped towards her. "Prescription?" he asked. "I thought you said everything was okay."

"Hey, eyes on the road!" Lorelai exclaimed. "Baby in the car, remember?"

He turned back to the road, but gently squeezed her knee. "What prescription?" he asked. "Is it safe for you to be feeding Victoria on medicine? Is it something that went wrong in the delivery?"

"Slow down, Mr. Positive," Lorelai said with an amused smile. "It's birth control."

Luke visibly relaxed, and then a sheepish expression crossed his face. "Oh."

"It's perfectly fine for me to be breastfeeding," Lorelai promised. "I just…well, I got the all clear from the doctor, and I didn't want to take any chances when we start getting dirty again."

"Makes sense," Luke nodded. He glanced at her and said, "I haven't been pressuring you, have I?"

"No," Lorelai shook her head.

"Good," he said. "I know the other night things were, uh…heated."

Lorelai smiled as she remembered the gentle way Luke had run his hands over her body during a heavy make out session on the couch earlier in the week. "It was heated," she acknowledged. "It felt good. You may have even made it to third base if it wasn't for our cute little interruption in the backseat."

"Just tell me when you're ready," Luke said. "I'll follow your lead on this."

"I'll tell you," she promised. She watched as Luke pulled off the highway and began to maneuver the streets of Stars Hollow. "It feels weird to have to talk about this so…clinically. We've done it thousands of times, it shouldn't be so awkward."

Luke shrugged. "Maybe, but it's better to do it this way than for you to be uncomfortable," he said. "We can go out to dinner and enjoy each other without the pressure of sex."

"We can," Lorelai confirmed. "Can we go to that bistro in Litchfield? The one with the cinnamon rolls for dessert?"

"Sure," Luke nodded. "We can talk to April and see if she can watch Victoria tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," Lorelai repeated, biting her lower lip. She peered into the backseat and asked, "Is it too soon?"

Luke pulled the car into the driveway and put it in park. "It's not going to be easy to leave her," he said. "But the longer we put it off, the harder it'll be."

Lorelai sighed. "So logical," she said. "Will you get Victoria? I'll call Sookie and see if she'll be around tomorrow night just in case."

"Sure," Luke nodded. He leaned forward to kiss her cheek and squeeze her knee. "We can do this."

"We can do this," Lorelai nodded, but her eyes remained uncertain. She leaned her head back against the seat before she followed him towards the house, both looking forward to and dreading the following evening.

XXXXX

"Okay, now if she ingests any chemicals, the number for poison control is right under the number for animal control," Lorelai said to April the following evening. Tapping the piece of paper in her hand, she ordered, "Memorize it."

April didn't even glance at the paper, and chose instead to focus her attention on Victoria, who was resting peacefully in her arms. "We'll be fine, Lorelai," she promised.

"Okay, but just go over everything for me one more time," Lorelai requested.

With a sigh, April turned on the couch to face Lorelai. "You and Dad will be in Litchfield," she recited. "You'll both have your cell phones, and the restaurant's number is at the top of the list. You'll be back by ten, and Sookie and Liz are both home if I need anything. Victoria is freshly changed and fed, but there are clean diapers in the changing table and bottles in the fridge. If she needs a bottle, I have to heat it in the microwave for thirty eight seconds. I'll put her in her crib around eight, and make sure I carry the receiving end of the baby monitor with me when I move to another room. Her pediatrician's phone number is listed, and if it's an emergency I should call 911, then you and Dad, then Liz or Sookie. The numbers for the police department, animal control, and poison control are all listed. Oh, and you're completely freaking out."

"Excuse me, I'm not freaking out," Lorelai frowned. "I'm a concerned mother, leaving her kids alone for the first time."

"We'll be fine," April promised. "Won't we, Victoria? You're going to help me study for my test on Mendel's laws of genetics."

"Uh huh, fascinating," Lorelai said impatiently. "Now, if the power goes out…"

"Lorelai," April sighed. "The power's not going to go out."

Luke charged into the room at that moment, looking directly at April. "I put the child locks on all the toilets," he said. "And made sure that the knife block is locked in the highest cabinet in the kitchen. You shouldn't have to use the stove since the pizza's already here, but if there's a gas leak, you just have to call the fire department and get out of the house right away."

"Oh, the fire department!" Lorelai cried, smacking the side of her head. "How did I forget to put that number on the list?"

"Oh my god!" April cried, her patience finally snapping. "We're going to be fine, despite how completely insane the two of you are being."

"This is the first time you'll be alone with her," Lorelai reminded her.

"Yeah, and when you were my age, you had your own kid," April said.

"Not for another year!" Lorelai stated crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

April rolled her eyes and looked down at Victoria. "You've got a long eighteen years ahead of you," she stated.

"Give her to me," Luke said, leaning down to scoop Victoria into his arms. "Okay, Victoria, Mom and I are going to go out to dinner for an hour or two. I promise we'll be back very soon, and your big sister April is going to take very good care of you."

Lorelai stood and peered down at Victoria, who looked back up at her with wide eyes, then began waving her arms in the air. "She doesn't look right," Lorelai observed. Stepping closer, she pressed her lips against Victoria's cheek and frowned. "I think she has a fever, does she feel warm to you?"

Luke's face morphed to concern as he reached up to press his hand against her forehead. "Maybe you're right," he said. Glancing at Lorelai, he murmured, "She hasn't gotten her measles vaccination yet."

"Okay, now you're being ridiculous," April said. "You're going. Both of you. Before you have to tell me, I already know that the thermometer is in my bathroom cabinet, and you have a fresh bottle of baby Tylenol in there is well. If she has a fever, I'll give her the appropriate dosage and call you right away. I'll also call Sookie, so there will be a mother to care for her while you break all kinds of speeding laws getting home."

Glancing at Lorelai, Luke saw her trying to bite back a smile. "Fine, we get it," he said. "It's not that we don't trust you, kid, this is just new for us."

"I know, which is why you need to go," April said. "I'm giving you sixty more seconds to say goodbye, and then I'm going to call Rory. We all know she's not above driving down from Boston to kick you out of the house, but she'll hold it over your head forever."

"She's right," Lorelai said. She reached out to take Victoria into her arms. "I love you so much, pretty girl. I promise the second we get home, we'll come check on you."

"Thirty seconds," April warned.

Lorelai frowned and pressed a kiss to Victoria's head. "Say goodbye to Daddy."

Luke took his daughter and offered her a kiss of his own, then hugged her close for a moment. "Have fun with your big sister," he murmured. "We'll be home very soon."

April waved her cell phone in the air. "Ten, nine, eight…"

"You win," Luke said, handing Victoria over to her. "Remember, if she needs a bottle, put it in the microwave…"

"For thirty eight seconds," April finished. She sat down on the couch and reached for a textbook with her free hand, the other holding Victoria against her chest. "She's my sister, Dad, I know. Goodbye."

"Bye," Luke said, gently nudging Lorelai out of the living room. She reluctantly followed him, her eyes filled with concern. "She'll be okay."

Lorelai looked at him doubtfully. "Excuse me, you're the one who wanted to install a camera in the living room," she accused.

"I know, and we're both nervous," Luke acknowledged. "Step back for a second and think logically. She's with April, who she loves. Sookie and Liz are on call, and we'll only be twenty minutes away."

With a deep sigh, Lorelai nodded. "I know." She looked at him closely, her lips curving up into a smile as she took in his black pants and light blue sweater. "You look very handsome."

Luke smiled and gave her body a once over. He licked his lips and commented, "You look beautiful, as always."

Smoothing her hands over her stomach, Lorelai blushed slightly. "Thank you," she murmured. "I'm still not quite back to normal."

With a shake of his head, Luke stepped forward and placed his hands on her hips. "Beautiful," he repeated before he leaned down to kiss her.

Lorelai wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed the kiss to deepen before she pulled back and tapped his chest gently. "If you want me to put out, you're going to have to buy me dinner first, mister."

After one more peck, Luke pulled back and gestured towards the door. "After you," he said with a warm smile.

Halfway to the truck, Lorelai paused and turned back to the house. "I forgot to tell April where the teething rings are," she said.

"Lorelai, Victoria's six weeks old," Luke reminded her as he took her arm and led her to the truck. "She's nowhere near teething."

Lorelai frowned as he helped her into the passenger seat. "She's very advanced for her age you know," she said.

"I know," Luke said as he slid into his own seat.

"She may be crawling by the time we get home," Lorelai pressed. "Talking. You really don't want to miss her first sip of coffee, do you?"

"We're going to dinner, not a reading of the Raven," Luke said with a teasing smile as he pulled the car onto the road.

Lorelai shook her head with a laugh. "I seriously thought that night would never end," she commented. "And your stupid wife was throwing me all kinds of shady looks that night."

"She wasn't my wife at the time," Luke reminded her.

"No, but she was close," Lorelai sighed. She fiddled with the sleeve of her coat. "Your exes sure have a pattern of hating my guts."

Luke reached for her hand. "Do you really care what any of them think?" he inquired.

"Nicole, no," Lorelai sighed. "Anna…well, no, but at least we've reached some sort of civil form of interacting for April's sake."

"Tonight's supposed to be about us," Luke reminded her gently. "I don't want to rehash the past."

"You're right, I'm sorry," Lorelai sighed. Tapping the side of her head, she commented, "Hormones are still off I guess."

"You know you can't use that excuse forever," he informed her.

"Okay," Lorelai shrugged. "I guess I won't act on some of the less emotional, more _physical_ hormonal urges, if you know what I mean."

Luke cleared his throat. "Oh, look here we are," he said as he pulled into a parking space.

Lorelai smiled, turning her head to look at him. "Luke?" she said quietly.

"Yeah?" he paused with his hand on the door handle.

"I'm really glad we're doing this," Lorelai said softly. "I love being Victoria's mom, but…I love being your wife too."

He leaned across the seat to kiss her softly. "I love having you as my wife," he confirmed.

She beamed and patted his chest. "Now, buy me dinner and I promise you'll have a very good chance at making a home run tonight," she stated.

"Very ladylike," Luke said before he got out of the car and came around to open her door for her.

"What can I say, you married a lady of society," Lorelai said in a sophisticated voice. "Or, you know, a girl who would have been a lady if she hadn't run away."

Luke put his hand on the small of her back as he led her towards the door of the restaurant. "Thank god you did," he murmured into her ear.

Lorelai leaned back into him with a fond smile. "Yeah," she agreed. "Thank god I did."

XXXXX

Around ten thirty that night, Lorelai crept into the living room with Luke behind her. April was curled up on the couch with a textbook in her hands, perched precariously on the couch as she dozed. The baby monitor was sitting beside an empty mug with a tea bag sitting in it, and Lorelai turned to look at Luke with a fond smile.

Luke leaned over to shake April's shoulder gently. "Wake up, kid, we're home," he murmured softly.

April shot up immediately, reaching past him for the baby monitor. "Is she okay?" she asked. "I was only sleeping for a minute, I swear."

"She's fine, sweetie," Lorelai said as she sat down on the end of the couch. "We just checked on her."

"Thanks for watching her," Luke added as he straightened. "We appreciate it."

"It was fine," April said. She sat up straight and glanced between Luke and Lorelai. They both looked relaxed, and April watched as they shared a knowing glance. Upon closer inspection she noticed that Lorelai's hair was slightly more rumpled than usual and her father's face was a bright red, like he felt guilty about something. April wrinkled her nose slightly at the presumption of _why_ they looked as they did, then stood. "Did you have fun?"

"We did," Lorelai promised. "We'll take over from here, you're off the hook. And to say thank you, your dad will make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast tomorrow."

April giggled and Luke rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Dad," she said. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

"Night," Luke said, leaning down to kiss her cheek before she walked towards the stairs.

Lorelai beamed up at him. "Should we continue what we started in the driveway?" she asked with a sly smile.

"Maybe in a bit," Luke said. "Give April some time to get to sleep."

"Planning on making me scream?" Lorelai asked with raised eyebrows.

"No, I just know that you _do_ scream," Luke countered as he sat down beside her on the couch.

"Well, you only have yourself to blame for that," Lorelai said.

He laughed and reached out to pat her thigh. "I'd say sorry, but I'm really not," he said with a smirk.

"Don't be," Lorelai said. She curled her legs under her and reached out to play with the hair at the nape of his neck. "Can I be honest?"

He turned his head to look at her. "Please," he nodded.

"I'm a little nervous," she whispered.

"We don't have to…"

Lorelai interrupted him with a hand over his mouth. "I want to," she said. "Really, that little preview in the truck made me sure that I want to. But it's only been six weeks, and I'm not sure, physically…" Her voice trailed off and she ducked her head away, embarrassed.

"Hey," Luke murmured, turning her face back to him. "We'll go slow. You say stop, and we stop. Don't do anything for my sake."

Lorelai shook her head slightly. "Really sexy foreplay we've got going on," she said.

With an affectionate smile, Luke commented, "You've literally talked about various forms of junk food during foreplay."

Lorelai scoffed and played along. "Whatever, Mr. 'The Red Sox just won the World Series and now I can't keep it in my pants,'" she said.

"They broke the curse!" Luke defended.

"And you made me come to bed wearing your Red Sox t-shirt and hat," Lorelai pointed out.

"I'm pretty sure _you_ called me and made me come over to your house," Luke said. "And answered the door wearing those two articles of clothing and nothing else."

Lorelai giggled. "I don't recall you complaining," she said.

He used his pointer finger to gently trace random shapes over her thigh. "That was the first night I stayed at your house," he commented.

"The first night _any_ man stayed at my house," Lorelai replied. "I broke the no boy rule for you."

"It was much appreciated," Luke nodded. He looked at her carefully and asked, "You think we still have that Red Sox shirt?"

"Probably," Lorelai nodded. "Next time they win I'll put it on."

"Why wait?" Luke asked, leaning towards her.

She leaned forward to kiss him deeply, shifting so she was resting on her knees beside him. Her hands moved to frame his face, and he responded eagerly. "Want to move this upstairs?" she whispered when she felt his lips trail down to the neckline of her dress.

Pulling back, he met her gaze with smoldering eyes. He reached out to run his fingers through her hair and murmured, "Promise you'll tell me if you need to stop?"

She leaned forward to kiss him again. "Only if you promise not to keep checking," she requested.

"Promise," he nodded.

"Me too," she said. She stood and held her hands out to him, pulling him to his feet and leading him to the stairs. As they climbed towards their bedroom, she glanced at him over her shoulder and told him, "I had a really great date."

Luke leaned forward to press a kiss to the back of her head. "Me too, beautiful girl," he murmured before he pushed her into the bedroom and gently closed the door behind them.

XXXXX

"…she's much less likely to yell at you."

Lorelai heard the end of Luke's statement as she drifted into consciousness the following morning, and turned over to see him sitting up in bed beside her. Victoria was lying in front of him as he gently waved her hands through the air. "Hey," she said, not moving from her spot snuggled against the pillows.

Luke turned to offer her a fond smile. "Morning, beautiful girl," he said. "How are you feeling today?"

Taking a moment to remember the night before, Lorelai smiled tenderly. Luke had been so gentle, his voice soft and affectionate as he'd made love to her, and she hadn't felt any less than cherished and beautiful. "Wonderful," she confessed. "Last night was amazing."

Luke smiled, his own eyes darkening. "Yeah, it was," he agreed. "You're incredible."

"Back at you, Cool Hand," she said as she pulled the covers tighter around her shoulders.

Turning back to Victoria, Luke commented, "She's been pretty snuggly since I went to get her."

"How long as she been up?" Lorelai asked softly, pushing her hair out of her face.

"Ten minutes or so," Luke shrugged. "I changed her diaper, then brought her in here."

"What time is it?" Lorelai asked, feeling her eyes start to fall shut again.

"Around six."

Lorelai sighed and forced her eyes open, feigning a look of disdain at Victoria. "You got your father's early morning genes?" she asked.

"She slept through the night," Luke pointed out.

"I guess you'd see it that way," Lorelai sighed. "Is she hungry?"

"She's not fussing," Luke said.

Lorelai nodded. "Okay," she said. She watched as Victoria kicked her feet in the air and Luke grabbed them, swinging them from side to side slightly. "She's in a playful mood this morning, isn't she?"

"Looks like it," Luke nodded. "She's growing so fast."

"Ugh, I know," Lorelai said. She kept her head on the pillow, but reached across Luke's lap to tickle her daughter's stomach slightly. "Morning, baby girl. We're going to break you of this early morning habit. Oh, yes we are!"

Victoria turned her head to look at her, her eyes widening slightly and her mouth opening. Lorelai blinked in response as she watched Victoria's face, then sat up quickly. "Did you see that?" she asked Luke.

He was examining their daughter just as closely. "Is she smiling?" he asked in wonder.

At the sound of his voice, Victoria turned to look at him, waving her arms in the air. Her face remained split by a huge smile, and her eyes were bright with happiness. "I think so," Lorelai said. She rested her head against Luke shoulder as she reached out to hold Victoria's hand in hers. "Good job, sweet girl."

"Such a gorgeous smile," Luke marveled.

Lorelai giggled as she leaned towards Victoria. "You've totally got him wrapped around your finger," she whispered loudly. "You've already got Rory's eyes, and once your hair gets longer I'll teach you the hair flip. Daddy will never say no."

"Don't do that, don't teach her how to take advantage of me," Luke frowned.

"Sorry," Lorelai said, lifting Victoria into her arms and turning her so their faces rested side by side. "Forgive me?"

Luke rolled his eyes and pointed an accusing finger at her. "I'm going to find a way to build immunity against this," he told her.

Lorelai laughed as she gently patted Victoria's back. "Sure, hon," she said. "It's only been fifteen years."

"Give me my kid," Luke said, holding his arms out. Victoria eagerly reached for him and Lorelai frowned as she handed her over.

"Traitor," she muttered to the baby, but ran an affectionate hand over her back. Turning to Luke, she asked, "Are you going to the diner today?"

He sighed as he looked down at Victoria. "I don't want to," he admitted.

"Yes, but we do need more diapers, so you've got to bring in the big bucks," Lorelai reminded him. "So do I."

Luke glanced at her. "You want to go back to work?" he asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "I love her," she said, pressing a kiss to Victoria's hand. "But I love the Dragonfly too. I kind of miss it."

"We'll work something out," Luke said. "I'm sure she'd like coming to work with you. Rory was an inn kid, she turned out okay."

"Yeah, she did," Lorelai acknowledged. "I was thinking we could get another travel crib and set it up in my office. That way she'll be close, but out of the way in case any of the guests realize she's the cutest kid in the world and try to kidnap her."

"We can do that," Luke nodded. He rocked her slightly and then added, "I was thinking of doing the same thing in my old apartment. Setting up a crib and a baby monitor, so she could stay with me sometimes."

Lorelai smiled fondly. "I think she'd like that," she said. "I'd miss having her with me, but…I don't get to be selfish like I was with Rory."

"You weren't selfish, you just didn't have anyone to share her with," Luke countered.

"Whatever," Lorelai shrugged. "We can work out a schedule. Or take it day by day."

"She can start at the inn for now," Luke said. "Especially since she needs you more than she needs me."

Lorelai watched as Victoria curled into Luke's chest and grabbed a fistful of his t-shirt in her tiny hand. "Doesn't seem like it at the moment," she commented as she ran a hand over her daughter's small back.

"She loves me, but she _needs_ you," Luke emphasized.

Hearing his words made Lorelai aware of the pressure in her breasts and she sighed. "Guess so," she said. "If she's not hungry I'm going to have to pump."

Luke looked down at Victoria, who was dozing against his chest. "I think she's okay for now," he said.

"Okay," Lorelai nodded. "My stuff's downstairs, I'll be back in a bit."

"We'll be here," Luke promised, offering her a fond smile. She leaned in to kiss him then slid out of bed, pulling his flannel tighter around her body. Watching Luke and Victoria snuggle was something she'd never take for granted, and after the night before she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. They were finding a new rhythm, and Lorelai loved every part of it. She had no doubt that she and Luke would be able to work out a system for going back to work as well.

XXXXX

"There she is!" Sookie squealed when Lorelai walked into the kitchen of the Dragonfly a week later. She threw her spatula onto the stove and rushed to Lorelai, oblivious to the cook behind her quickly moving the melting plastic off the stove. "Oh, look how big she is!"

Lorelai smiled as she bounced her knees, patting Victoria's back slightly. "Say hi to Auntie Sookie," she said softly.

"I can't believe she's here!" Sookie cried. "We're going to have so much fun, just like we did with Rory!"

A bittersweet smile came across Lorelai's face. "She'll be a Connecticut Eloise," she said, repeating the title Rory had given herself years ago. "Except, you know, with a house to go home to and a diner where she'll spend time too."

"But this will be her favorite place," Sookie said. "I made cookies and brownies and chocolate milk, just like Rory always loved."

"Sookie, she's seven weeks old," Lorelai said.

"I know, but I figured you'd appreciate the treats," Sookie nodded. "Is Luke still here?"

"Nope, he set up the travel crib and tried to find plenty of excuses to stick around," Lorelai sighed. "But fortunately, he had a real reason to leave. He has parent teacher conferences at Chilton."

Sookie nodded knowingly. "I'd pay good money to see that," she commented.

"Why?" Lorelai frowned.

"You're kidding, right?" Sookie asked. "Luke and Max, in a parent teacher conference? You know it's going to turn into a conversation about you."

"Sookie, April doesn't have Max," Lorelai informed her.

"She doesn't?" Sookie asked.

"No," Lorelai said. "She's taking Greek mythology. Max is the Shakespeare guy. We'll probably have to cross that bridge next year."

"Oh," Sookie sighed. "So it's just a regular, boring parent teacher conference?"

"Well, there probably will be a little bit of entertainment value because Luke has to carry on a conversation about Mendelian genetics and bioethics," Lorelai said. "Thank god Rory was a literature person, I could at least pretend to converse about Proust."

Sookie nodded as she turned back to the stove. "I've got to get lunch ready," she said. "Let me know if you want anything to eat."

"I will," Lorelai nodded. She looked down at Victoria and said, "How about a tour of the inn, pretty girl?"

She walked through the door into the dining room and smiled. "This is where Mommy ate lots of yummy cake a couple days before you were born," she said. "And this is the library, which is Rory's favorite room. Through here we have the hallway, and right about here is where I was standing when Daddy gave me flowers for the first time."

"And about a foot away is where your crazy mother ran into a doorway," Michel drawled in a bored tone from the desk.

Lorelai frowned and then looked down at Victoria. "Ignore the man behind the desk," she said. "When you're older, I'll teach you how to polish his shoes."

"Your spawn is not getting anywhere near my three hundred dollar shoes!" Michel called with indignation as Lorelai began to climb the stairs. "This is room number seven," she said to Victoria. "It's the room Daddy stayed in right after he kissed me for the first time, and it's also the room Mommy stayed in the night before she married Daddy." She smiled as she stepped into her favorite room of the inn. It was free of guests, and as she took in the large bed, roll top desk, and antique dresser, she tried to picture what Luke had done that first night, after he'd kissed her. Had he gone right to bed? Had he wanted her to join him? Had he paced the floor and debated going to find her after she'd returned and admittedly given him the cold shoulder after her fight with Rory? She made a mental note to ask him his thoughts on that night.

"Maybe someday we'll have a sleepover here," Lorelai said to her daughter. "That would be fun, wouldn't it?"

Still trapped in the past, Lorelai made her way downstairs to the front door of the inn. She pulled it open and stepped onto the porch, smiling fondly at the spot she'd stood years ago, when Luke had pulled her into his arms for the first time. "This was where Daddy first kissed Mommy," she said. "You might not be here right now if he hadn't, and that is a truly sad thought. It's just a short walk to where we finally got married." As Lorelai walked down the porch steps and walked into the garden, Victoria sighed and curled closer to her. "Yes, that was indeed the reaction we got from many a person when we were finally pronounced husband and wife." As she settled onto a bench in the garden, she mused aloud to her daughter, "I wonder how Daddy's doing at Chilton. Think he's holding his own?"

XXXXX

At that exact moment, Luke was quickly understanding what people meant when they referred to parenting as a sacrifice. The halls of Chilton, while beautifully constructed and immaculately kept, were daunting even to him as an adult. He wasn't sure he'd ever understand why either of his oldest daughters had felt so comfortable here, and hoped without abandon that Victoria wouldn't feel the need to do so as well.

"How was it?" April questioned as soon as he walked out of her English classroom. "Am I failing? Are they going to take away my scholarship? Do I need to ask for extra credit?"

Luke frowned down at her. "You're a great student, April, what's with the sudden lack of confidence?" he asked.

"I'm a great _science_ student," April corrected. "Mythology is just so…abstract and requires so much interpretation. I have no idea how Rory reads this kind of stuff all the time."

"Well, if it's any consolation, your teacher says you're doing great," Luke said. "Nothing but positive feedback."

April visibly relaxed. "Okay, good," she said. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and stated, "That's it, you're free for another semester."

Luke fought the urge to voice his relief out loud and instead nodded towards the exit. "How about we grab some lunch?" he suggested. "We haven't had much time just the two of us lately."

"That sounds nice," April said. "I know an inn with a great restaurant."

Fighting the urge to check in on Lorelai and Victoria, Luke shook his head slightly. "Nah, let's just keep it you and me," he said, tapping his fist against her shoulder. "Unless you can't handle an afternoon alone with your old man."

"No, it sounds nice," April said. "I just have to…" her voice trailed off and Luke frowned down at her.

"Have to what?" he asked.

"Nothing," she shook her head and looked up at him with panic in her eyes. "I'm going to run to the bathroom, can you pull the car around?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, taking in the nervous expression that had crossed her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," April said, but she practically sprinted past him towards the bathrooms.

Luke frowned after her, then decided that he'd bring it up at lunch. As he walked towards the exit to bring the car around, he saw a woman about his age walking in the opposite direction and offered her a polite nod when they made eye contact.

She stopped and tilted her head to the side, then asked, "Are you April's dad?"

Surprised, Luke turned back to her and nodded. "Yeah," he nodded. "Luke Danes. Are you one of April's teachers? I only met with three of them today."

She laughed and shook her head as she stepped closer. "No, my daughter Emma's in April's class," she said. "You're married to Lorelai Gilmore, right?"

Becoming more confused by the moment, Luke stepped back and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Yeah," he replied hesitantly.

"I went to high school with her," the woman replied. She held out her hand and said, "Missy Fitzgerald. Lorelai knew me as Missy Tompkins."

Recognizing the name, Luke immediately tensed but offered a brief handshake. "Good to meet you," he nodded. Pointing towards the door, he said, "I've got to meet April."

Missy took a step forward and place a hand on Luke's arm. "She's certainly got good taste," she said. "From Christopher to you…well, Lorelai's a lucky woman."

Uncomfortable with the way she was looking at him and angry at the mere mention of Christopher's name, Luke tugged his arm away. "Good luck with your conferences," he said as he started towards the door.

"She had another baby, right?" Missy called after him. "I helped Christopher out last time. I could do the same for you, if you're interested."

Luke felt disgust coil through his veins for many reasons. Lorelai had told him that Christopher hadn't even waited for Rory to be born to move on in his romantic life, which wasn't particularly surprising, but made his hatred for the other man stronger.

He couldn't believe this was happening. Standing in the middle of a fancy private school, a complete stranger was propositioning him, probably out of boredom and some weird resentment for Lorelai. A large part of him was ready to dive into a long rant about not needing women like her for _anything,_ but he remembered that April went to school here every day and prevented himself from getting worked up.

With a shrug, he turned around, met her in the eye, and said, "Lorelai helps me out just fine." With that, he turned and strode out the door, trying to push the entire incident out of his head so he could enjoy an afternoon with his daughter.

April was waiting by the truck when he arrived, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "What took you so long?" she asked.

Luke shook his head as he unlocked the door. "Just a run in with one of Hartford's women of society," he said sarcastically. "Nothing for you to worry about."

"Emma's mom?" April asked, pausing before she got into the car.

"Yeah," he sighed. "She was the one who was giving you a hard time at the beginning of the year, right?"

"Yeah," April said flatly.

"How's that been?" Luke asked. "I know Lorelai and I have been distracted by Victoria and your mom's far away, but you can still talk to any of us. You know that, right?"

"Yeah," April repeated.

Luke leaned against the side of the truck and looked down at her carefully. "Spill," he requested quietly.

"Emma hasn't been bugging me," April promised. "Really. I've been hanging out with Christine and her friends."

Recognizing the names, Luke nodded. The girls had been over a couple times, and had seemed like good friends for April. "They seem nice," he said.

"They are," April nodded.

Luke tilted his head towards the school. "So what's with that other girl?" he asked.

"Nothing," April said. "I just…I don't like her."

"Don't blame you for that," Luke muttered.

"What did her mom say to you?" April asked.

He waved a dismissive hand. "Nothing important," he said.

"Did she try to kiss you?" April asked defensively.

Luke blinked in surprise. "No," he said. "Why?"

"Because that's what she does," April said. "She's…well, made the rounds, or tried to, with a bunch of dads in the class."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Luke demanded, "How could you possibly know that?"

"Well, she tells Emma everything," April replied. "Emma says it's a mother daughter thing, which I know from experience is _not_ normal."

Luke shook his head. "You know it wouldn't matter if she _had_ tried anything, right?" he said. "I'd never do that to Lorelai."

April smiled. "Uh, yes, I'm very well aware that Lorelai is the only woman for you," she said. "I've walked in on one to many a disgusting kiss between you two."

"Sorry about that," Luke muttered. "You okay?"

"Yeah," April shrugged. "It's part of life, right? Dealing with people you don't like?"

Impressed with April's adult-like views on life, Luke nodded. "As someone who's known _Kirk_ for most of my life, I've definitely learned that lesson."

April giggled, then pointed to the truck. "Are we going to lunch or should I order a pizza?" she asked.

"Get in," Luke rolled his eyes and walked around to his side of the truck. He knew he was going to have to tell Lorelai about his interaction with Missy Tompkins, but he definitely wasn't looking forward to it.

Hopefully Victoria would do something really cute today and Lorelai wouldn't overreact.

XXXX

"She said _what?"_

Luke cringed as he watched Lorelai spring to her feet from the kitchen table. "It's not a big deal," he tried to comfort.

"Not a big deal?" Lorelai demanded. "That stupid whore has been trying to take what's mine for twenty five years. She tried to get into your pants, and her daughter spent the first half of this year making April miserable. Her telling you that she could _help you out_ is, in fact, a very big deal."

"Calm down," Luke said futilely.

"Calm down?" Lorelai shouted, doing the exact opposite. "I am not going to calm down. Missy Tompkins has thrived on messing with my life since the second I showed up to school in a uniform with a stretchy waist, but she is _not_ going to get away with it anymore. Christopher was one thing, because, well, he's Christopher, but there is no way in hell she is getting away with hitting on you."

"Lorelai, it's not like anything was going to happen," Luke said.

"I know that," Lorelai snapped. "It's not you I'm mad at, it's that bitch who thinks she's God's gift to the world. We are not going to spend the next three years with her trying to flirt with you. No one flirts with you but me!"

"And very well," Luke said, standing and moving closer. She wasn't listening to logic, so he hoped she'd respond to seduction.

"Not now," Lorelai shoved his hands away and strode towards her purse. "Where are my car keys? I'm going to go kick some ass."

"Lorelai, let's be realistic," Luke said. "She's a bored mom, who has nothing better to do than flirt with random strangers. That's it."

"Uh huh, except you weren't just a random stranger to her," Lorelai said. "She knows you're my husband."

"What's the deal with you two?" Luke frowned. "Nearly twenty years went by, and suddenly it's like we're back in high school."

"Well, let's recap," Lorelai said impatiently. "I give birth to a perfect baby, Missy Tompkins offers to sleep with the baby's father, so yeah, I guess I am still in high school!"

"You're forgetting one huge difference," Luke said gently.

Lorelai stared at him, hands on her hips. "What?" she demanded.

Cautiously reaching for her hand, Luke murmured, "This time he didn't give in."

Some of the anger melted from Lorelai's face and she relaxed slightly. "There is that," she admitted quietly.

"It doesn't matter what she or anyone else says or does," Luke murmured. "You know I'd never do that to you."

"Yeah, because you know from experience how it feels, thanks to me," Lorelai muttered self deprecatingly.

"Hey, I forgave you for that a long time ago," Luke frowned. "Don't pull up the past. I trust you."

Lorelai nodded. "I know, and I'm grateful for that," she sighed. "I guess it's time for some of my baggage to pop up. At least this time it's not Chris."

"We'll deal with it," Luke shrugged. Smirking slightly, "Maybe we could set her up with Medina, kill two birds with one stone."

"Very funny," Lorelai said sarcastically.

"Just a thought," Luke said. He reached out to play with a strand of her hair and murmured, "You okay?"

Lorelai sighed and leaned forward to rest her forehead on his shoulder. "Yeah," she admitted. "It's just infuriating. She's running around telling her kid about her slutty choices. I know I joked around with Rory, but I never really gave her that many details. I may have hovered over the line of inappropriate conversations, but I never actually crossed it."

"I know," Luke said. Trying to lighten the mood, he rubbed her shoulder and said, "We may have unintentionally crossed that line together once or twice."

With a laugh, Lorelai raised her head to meet his eyes. "It's her own fault for coming into the store room without knocking," she shrugged.

Luke pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you, Lorelai," he murmured. "You have to know that there's no one else I'll ever be with."

"I love you too," she said, running her hand over his shoulder. "I can't really _blame_ her for flirting with you. You are undeniably handsome when you wear this sweater."

"Undeniably, huh?" Luke asked.

"Definitely, unquestionably, irrefutably handsome," Lorelai confirmed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Hmm," he sighed as he rested his hands on her hips. "I love this skirt."

Lorelai giggled against his lips. "Because it's short?" she asked.

"And tight," he murmured, one hand grazing down her thigh to trace the hem of the soft brown skirt.

"I knew you'd like it," she breathed before she kissed him again. "April went to take care of Babette's cats?"

"Mmmhmm," Luke's lips trailed down her neck.

Lorelai hopped onto the counter and pulled Luke towards her. "We better make it quick then," she said, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"You're the only one I want," Luke murmured as he trailed a row of kisses along her collar bone. "You're the only one I'll ever want."

He ran his tongue gently over her skin and she gasped as she reached between them to grasp at his belt. Just as her fingers found the clasp, a loud wail echoed through the baby monitor and they both froze.

"Sorry," Lorelai whispered as Luke rested his forehead against her shoulder, bracing his hands on the counter on either side of her. She unwrapped her legs from his waist and pressed a gentle kiss to his hair. "I'll get her."

With a sigh, Luke raised an arm to let her through and ran his hand over his face. "Guess we should have waited until tonight," he said.

Lorelai straightened her skirt and headed towards the stairs. "Consider it a preview," she called over her shoulder.

Luke shook his head and walked to the fridge, pouring himself a tall glass of cold water. He supposed he was going to have to get used to interruptions more frequently. "Good thing that kid is cute," he muttered before taking a long sip of water.

"Hear that, sweet girl, Daddy thinks you're cute," Lorelai smiled as she walked back into the kitchen. Victoria was squirming in her arms, grasping at Lorelai's shirt, and Luke frowned at her.

"Is she hungry?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm about to feed her," Lorelai said. "I think I left her pillow in the car after work, can you go get it while I settle in?"

"Sure," Luke nodded. Lorelai flashed him a smile and retreated to the living room, gently rocking Victoria as she did so. Luke searched through her purse for her car keys, rolling his eyes slightly. He was pretty sure the bag of cookies he pulled out was still left from their disastrous car shopping trip two years ago.

After finally fishing her keys out of the bag, he walked out to the car, fetching Lorelai's nursing pillow from the backseat. When he returned to the living room, Victoria was fussing in Lorelai's arms, refusing to give in to Lorelai's attempts to nurse her. She was kicking her legs violently, and Lorelai was struggling to keep her still.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked as he sat down beside her. He slid the pillow into Lorelai's lap, and she shook her head.

"I don't know, she's never done this before," she said. "I can tell she's hungry, but she won't latch on."

Luke frowned as Victoria began to cry, her face scrunching as tears rolled down her face. "Maybe try the other side?" he suggested.

Lorelai nodded and expertly turned Victoria in her arms, raising her eyebrows when the baby stopped crying and immediately began feeding. "Well that was weird," she said, looking to Luke.

He shrugged as he helped her cover her exposed side. "Maybe it's her version of ogling pancakes," he suggested.

"Maybe," Lorelai said with a smile. "You're a strange little girl. Most kids don't care where the food comes from."

"She is a Gilmore," Luke pointed out.

"Guess so," Lorelai giggled. "I promise I'll never try to give you Al's mashed potatoes, sweet girl."

Luke made a face and took Victoria's foot in his hand. "I promise I'll never give you _anything_ from Al's," he said.

"Which is why you have me," Lorelai replied.

"When she's sick all night from eating that disgusting blue manicotti, you're the one who will stay up with her," Luke stated.

"You're all talk, Butch, you're going to completely lose it the first time she gets sick," Lorelai said.

"Uh huh," Luke said. "I do believe that I had to carry you to bed when Rory had the chicken pox because you tried to sleep on the floor."

Lorelai smiled. "And you spent the night on the couch," she said.

Luke winced. "Rory made it very clear that I was not to leave," he said. "Even then, she could approach Emily Gilmore levels of scary when she tried to get her way."

"It's a family trait," Lorelai confirmed. She leaned her head into the back of the couch as Victoria continued to nurse. Staring at the ceiling, she said, "Thanks for telling me. About Missy Tompkins."

"Like I said, it was nothing," Luke reassured.

"I know, but…I'm glad you told me," Lorelai said. "Not that I would believe her word over yours, but at least I'll be prepared next time I see her. If my spidey senses are correct, she's going to spin the situation so that _you_ did the initiating."

"If that's the case, go ahead and kick her ass," Luke said.

"Oh, I will," Lorelai smiled. She looked down at Victoria, then said, "Or maybe I'll just show her what a perfect kid we made. That will throw her off and make her completely jealous."


	11. Chapter 11

**WE ARE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS, PEOPLE! Next Friday can honestly not come soon enough. In the mean time, enjoy the new chapter!**

* * *

"Hey, Mom," Lorelai chirped as she and Luke entered her parents' living room.

Emily ignored Lorelai and headed straight to Luke, who was holding Victoria's carrier. "Is that Victoria?" Emily demanded.

"Oh, did you want us to bring Victoria?" Lorelai asked. "Sorry, we weren't sure. We went to Babies R Us and traded her out for another baby."

"Lorelai, honestly, there's no need for sarcasm," Emily said, leaning over the carrier.

"Yes, Mom, it's Victoria," Lorelai placated. "If you let Luke into the room, he'll even put her down and let you hold her."

Emily straightened and tugged slightly at her jacket, a sheepish look briefly crossing her face. "Come in, Luke," she said.

"Thanks," he nodded at her before he stepped into the room and sat down on the couch beside Lorelai. He set the carrier on the floor beside the couch, then crouched down to unbuckle the baby. "It's okay," he murmured gently as he lifted her into his arms. "We're both here."

Lorelai peered at Victoria as Luke resumed his seat on the couch. "She's doing okay?" she asked.

"Seems it," Luke nodded. "Just waking up."

"Diaper?"

"Dry."

With a satisfied nod, Lorelai leaned back into her seat. "I'll take that drink any time now, Mom," she requested.

Emily didn't look at her as she handed her a tall glass of water. "Let me hold her," she said to Luke.

Sighing softly, Luke stood and handed Victoria over to Emily. The older woman's face melted from its usual stone façade as she rocked Victoria in her arms, and Luke offered Lorelai smile as he sat down beside her again.

"She's a lovely baby," Emily declared after a moment. "She looks just like Rory did."

Lorelai smiled fondly. "Yeah, the first thing Luke noticed was that she has her big sister's eyes," she said.

"She's growing," Emily observed.

"Better than shrinking."

Emily settled into her chair beside the couch as she continued to look at the baby in her arms. "How are her social skills?" she asked.

"She'll be losing her glass slipper next week."

"Lorelai, don't you take anything seriously?"

"Sorry," Lorelai held her hands up defensively. "She's two months old, Mom, she has no social skills."

"She learned to smile," Luke offered, hoping it would satisfy Emily's curiosity.

It did, and Emily turned to offer her granddaughter a smile of her own. "I'm sure it's a beautiful smile," she said.

"So where's Dad?" Lorelai asked. "Bow tie warehouse?"

"He's in his study," Emily replied. "He's been working diligently on a project for Victoria."

"Project?" Lorelai froze. "What kind of project?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Uh, considering that _we're her parents_ it does concern us," Lorelai said. Looking at her mother suspiciously, she asked, "You're not going to enter her into the babies of the year contest at the country club are you?"

"Does that exist?" Luke asked, earning himself a glare from his wife.

"It certainly does," Emily interjected. "And you're married to the first runner up from 1968."

Lorelai's face morphed into complete horror as Luke fought off laughter with everything inside of him.

"You promised you'd never tell anyone that!" Lorelai accused.

"Why not? It's an honorable title," Emily assured her. Turning back to Luke she added, "She would have won, too, if her head wasn't twice the size it should have been."

"Hey!" Lorelai cried, offended. "I couldn't help that."

"Baby of the year, huh?" Luke asked, looking at her with a twinkle in his eyes. "You just keep surprising me."

"It's not like I _chose_ it," Lorelai frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "I was like seven months old."

"Rory would have won her year if you hadn't been so possessive of her," Emily added.

"She's _my_ kid, if there's one thing I could be possessive of, it's her," Lorelai defended. "And her," she added, pointing to Victoria. "Well, and April. Kind of."

Luke patted her knee and turned to Emily. "So I'm assuming you have pictures of this contest?" he asked.

"Traitor!" Lorelai gasped, pulling away from him.

"Oh, good, Lorelai, Luke, you're here. I've been working on Victoria's trust fund," Richard appeared from his study and nodded at them before he turned to Emily. "Is that her?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "What other baby would we bring with us?" she asked.

"It's always considerate to ask, Lorelai," Richard said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Well, from here on out, always assume the kid we bring with us is, in fact, Victoria," Lorelai said. "Unless you're told otherwise, of course."

"Alright, Emily, it's my turn to hold her," Richard said as he reached for Victoria.

"Absolutely not, I've barely had any time at all with her!" Emily turned away from Richard. "Wait your turn!"

"Well, I don't see how that's fair, you've clearly had more time with her than I have."

"You can ask all you want, I'm not handing her over."

Lorelai leaned into Luke and muttered, "this will go on for a good twenty minutes. Want to go make out?"

"Wait until tonight."

Lorelai sighed and opened her mouth to respond, but quickly turned to Victoria when she began to cry. "Oh, watch this, it should be good."

"The child is crying, Emily," Richard informed her.

"Yes, I can hear that, Richard," Emily snapped.

"Why is she crying?"

"I don't know, maybe she's hungry."

Luke tilted his head to the side. "They have no idea what to do," he observed.

"You're lucky I had nannies," Lorelai nodded as she stood. "I'll take her, Mom. She probably needs a diaper change."

"I can do it," Emily insisted.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "No offense, but how many diapers have you changed in your life?" she asked.

"I have a daughter and a granddaughter!" Emily skillfully avoided the question.

"Uh huh, and I know for a fact that you never changed Rory's diaper," Lorelai confirmed.

"Only because you'd rather have let her sit in her own filth than have me help."

Lorelai's eyes narrowed and she sat down next to Luke. "Okay," she said, gesturing to Victoria. "Be my guest."

"Thank you," Emily said, but she looked down at Victoria skeptically.

Luke leaned into Lorelai and asked, "You're really going to let our kid go through this for your entertainment?"

"Relax, I give it another twenty seconds before she gives up," Lorelai said before she handed Emily a clean diaper and a box of baby wipes. "Here, Mom."

Emily looked at the items with dismay, but took them cautiously. Lorelai caught her father's eye as he watched the situation unfold with equal amusement. "You know, Dad, there's a rumor going around that men can actually change diapers now a days."

Richard's face turned to slight panic before it took on determination. "Very well, I'll help," he declared.

"You're evil," Luke muttered in Lorelai's ear.

"Shh, I'm trying to watch," she said.

Emily was trying to unbutton Victoria's onesie, and frowned as she laid the baby on the couch in front of her. "Richard, hand me the clean diaper," she said.

"In a minute, Emily," he said patiently. "I'm trying to figure out which side of the diaper is the front."

"I can't imagine that that matters," Emily replied as she slowly pulled the legs of the onesie out of the way.

Luke pushed himself forward, ready to spring into action if needed, and Lorelai clasped a hand over her mouth in attempts to cover up her laughter.

Emily peeled the diaper back slightly and her face registered disgust for a brief moment. "Richard, bring me some gloves," she commanded.

"Well, I don't know that we have gloves," Richard replied.

"Surely you don't expect me to change a diaper without gloves!" Emily cried.

"Okay, go," Lorelai said, pushing gently on Luke's shoulder.

"I'll take her," Luke said, standing and scooping Victoria into his arms. "Lorelai?"

"Right, coming," she said. She took her baby from Luke's arms and said, "It's okay, baby, Grandma and Grandpa did their best." She gestured towards the bathroom and said, "We'll be right back."

Luke nodded after her and shoved his hands in his pockets as he turned to look at his embarrassed in laws. "It took me awhile to learn," he said by way of conversation.

Emily's face morphed into her usual annoyed expression as she swiped her wine into her hands and resumed her seat. "I hear that things are going well for April at Chilton," she commented.

With a nod, Luke sat down as well. "Yeah, it's hard to believe she's almost done with her first year," he said. "She has a big science presentation next week. She's been working on it for weeks, it's a big part of her grade."

Richard nodded in appreciation. "It's good she has such a strong work ethic for such a young age," he commented. "It will serve her well in life."

"Yeah, I hope so," Luke glanced over his shoulder and willed Lorelai to return to the room.

"When is the presentation?" Emily asked curiously.

"Next Tuesday afternoon," Luke sighed.

"What's next Tuesday?" Lorelai asked as she breezed back into the room with Victoria in her arms.

"April's presentation," Luke reminded her.

A disappointed expression came across Lorelai's face. "Yeah, it will be good for her," she said. "I wish I could go."

"Why can't you?" Emily asked curiously.

Lorelai sighed as she looked down at Victoria. "She's still kind of small for stuff like that," she commented. "She'd get overwhelmed by all the people and noise. Luke promised to give me a play by play though."

"Let us watch her," Richard requested.

Lorelai let loose a string of giggles and shook her head. "Wow, you've got something there, Dad," she said. Seeing the hurt expressions on her parents' face, she quickly sobered and asked, "Wait, are you serious?"

"Why not?" Emily asked. "She is our granddaughter, we'd be thrilled to watch her."

"Yes, but five minutes ago you couldn't tag team a diaper," Lorelai replied. "We appreciate the offer, but honestly, it's okay. April knows I'd be there if I could. It's most important that Luke's there."

"Lorelai, don't be ridiculous, you're going to that presentation," Richard said firmly. "Just drop Victoria off here first."

There was a heavy silence in the room before Lorelai cleared her throat. "I…um…Victoria needs to eat," she announced. "I'll go upstairs."

"I'll…help you," Luke said quickly, jumping to his feet to follow her up the stairs, not wanting to be left alone with the Gilmores again.

"Help me?" Lorelai asked when they reached the landing. "I don't think even they'll fall for that."

He peered into her arms. "Does she really need to eat?" he asked.

"No, I just needed a second," Lorelai said.

Luke lifted his gaze to meet hers. Nodding to her old bedroom door, he opened it and led her inside. "Do you want them to watch her?" he asked.

"Do you?"

"I asked first."

"Okay, well, now that we're twelve…" Lorelai sighed as she sat down on the bed. She scooted to the center and then laid Victoria on the bed in front of her. She tickled her daughter's stomach slightly and earned a smile in return. "I don't know. Neither of them can change a diaper, and I'd hate to think what they'd be like at the sight of bottled breast milk."

"Yeah, they seemed pretty helpless," Luke agreed as he sat down on the other side of the bed and smiled down at Victoria.

Lorelai regarded him curiously. "Do you want them to do it?" she asked.

"I want you to be there for April," Luke replied.

"It's not that I don't want to go," Lorelai said quietly. "Last year I flew all the way across the country for this thing, I'd be there in a heartbeat if it wasn't too much for Victoria."

"I know," Luke nodded. He was quiet as he watched Victoria wave her arms in the air. "Maybe they should do it. We'll leave them detailed instructions on diaper changes and plenty of gloves."

Lorelai shook her head. "What if they don't give her back?" she asked.

"Well, she's our kid, they don't have a choice," Luke pointed out.

"You say that, but I'm pretty sure my mother was waiting in the shadows for the first six months of Rory's life," Lorelai replied. "The second I turned my back she would have taken her and ran. Which is why I did it first."

"You've got to stop comparing everything to what happened then," Luke told her.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Nothing," Luke said. "But everything was different when you had Rory. Your relationship with your parents has come a long way, you've proven yourself to be an outstanding mother who can provide for her kids. You have a house, a husband, and a business. You're not a kid anymore, but you're acting like your parents still don't trust your parenting capabilities."

"Well, you try living with forty years of not being good enough," Lorelai said. "That stupid baby of the year contest? One of my first memories is of my mom telling me that I could have won if I'd sat still."

"You weren't even a year old."

"I know," Lorelai nodded. "But my point is that I've _never_ done anything good enough to their standards."

"You raised a kid who went to Yale."

"But first I took her away from them and lived in a shed," Lorelai sighed. "They're never going to get over that, Luke. I'm never going to be good enough."

Luke was silent as he reached out to wrap a strand of her hair around his fingers. "Prove it to them," he suggested.

Lorelai rolled her eyes and lifted Victoria into her arms. "If getting Rory through Yale isn't proof enough, I'll never be able to do so," she said. "Plus, she spent two years writing about democrats and now she's working for Harvard and living with a boy. Once they find that out, it will all be because of how I raised her."

"She's perfect," Luke countered. "Prove to them that you're a more than capable mother, that Victoria is cared for and loved. Have them babysit on Tuesday, but ask them to come to our house."

With eyebrows raised, Lorelai met his eyes. "You're willing to let Richard and Emily be alone with our daughter in our house?" she asked. "You do realize that when I was a kid, my mom went through all of my drawers and closets just looking for reasons to get me in trouble."

Luke eyed her suspiciously. "And what did she find?" he asked.

With a giggle, Lorelai pointed towards the dresser. "Two and a half pounds of tootsie rolls," she replied.

"Figures," he rolled his eyes.

"Of course, underneath was the condoms and tequila," Lorelai continued.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Well, you're allowed to have both now, so what's the worst that can happen if they babysit?" he asked.

"Uh, they spend two hours trying to change her diaper," Lorelai replied. "They've never cared for a baby, Luke, ever. I was raised by nannies and I admittedly kept Rory from them. They have no idea how much work it takes."

"So let them figure it out," Luke insisted. "Maybe they'll realize how hard it was for you to raise Rory the way you did." Lorelai shot him a doubtful look, and he shrugged. "I said maybe," he stated.

Lorelai sighed and held Victoria out in front of her. "What do you think, sweet girl?" she asked. "Want to spend an afternoon with Grandma and Grandpa?"

Victoria rubbed a sleepy hand over her eyes, and Lorelai turned to Luke. "I think that means that she's okay with it as long as they let her sleep," she said.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, why not?" Lorelai replied. As she stood, she commented, "It's still weird to me when you're all team Gilmore."

"They're not as bad as they used to be," Luke shrugged.

"No, they're not," Lorelai sighed. They walked towards the stairs and she said, "You'll have to see if you can get that camera installed though."

"I'll see what I can do."

They walked back down the stairs, and Lorelai offered her parents a smile. "You'd better stock up on those gloves," she informed them. "You're going to have a lot of diapers to change next week."

XXXXX

Luke shifted uncomfortably in his folding chair, tugging at the collar of his shirt as he tried to pay attention to one of April's classmates present a display of various genetic studies of evolution. Lorelai gently reached out to place a hand on his knee, then muttered, "She's fine. You're not going to call again."

"Like you were really checking in on Sookie at the inn," Luke replied.

Lorelai didn't reply, but allowed a small smile to cross her lips as she remained focused on the panel of high school students seated on the stage in front of them. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said.

With a sigh, Luke crossed his arms over his chest and tried to focus on the presentation, wondering not for the first time how his kid had become so interested in academic presentations like these. While he was certainly proud of her and encouraged her to pursue her scientific interests, he wasn't sure he'd ever enjoy sitting through the other kids who had prepared similar presentations.

He felt Lorelai remove her hand from his leg and watched from the corner of his eye as she slowly reached into her purse. With a smirk, he saw her discreetly open her cell phone, clearly expecting some sort of emergency message from her parents.

Reaching his arm around the back of her chair, he leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "The pot shouldn't call the kettle black."

She quickly dropped the cell phone back into her purse and crossed her arms over her chest, pointedly ignoring him.

Ten minutes later, the presentations were over and Lorelai stood. "I wonder where they're stashing the coffee," she commented.

"Do you see April?" Luke replied.

"Uh huh, she's the one in plaid skirt," Lorelai confirmed.

Luke sighed in exasperation. "Sometimes I don't know why I put up with you," he said.

"Because I'm pretty and you love me," Lorelai supplied. "Oh, and there was that whole giving birth to your kid thing."

"Yeah, I guess that's part of it," Luke said, feigning indifference.

"Hey, Dad!" April appeared in front of them. "Hi, Lorelai."

"You did great, kid," Luke said, offering her a hug. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," April said, her eyes shining.

Lorelai offered her a hug of her own. "You were definitely the prettiest girl up there," she complimented.

April rolled her eyes, a gesture that always made Lorelai marvel at how much she resembled Luke. It would be interesting to see if Victoria inherited the same mannerism.

"I told Mom I'd take pictures," April said.

Lorelai held up her camera. "Call me Annie," she said, earning confused looks from both Luke and April. "Annie Leibowitz," she elaborated, but their expressions didn't change. "Never mind, let's just take pictures."

After they'd taken a series of pictures, Lorelai heard her cell phone ringing from her purse. Passing the camera to Luke, she quickly headed towards the quiet hallway as she raised the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Lorelai, thank God," Emily's voice came over the phone.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Lorelai asked, feeling her heart rate speed up.

"Victoria's sleeping!" Emily exclaimed.

Lorelai paused, waiting for her mother to continue. "And?" she finally prompted.

"And she's been sleeping for nearly an hour!" Emily replied.

Lorelai looked down at her watch. "That's normal, Mom," she said. "She usually sleeps for two hours in the afternoon."

"Why?" Emily demanded.

"To sleep off all those beers she drank last night."

"Lorelai!"

"She's a baby, Mom, that's what they do," Lorelai said impatiently.

"Well, your father and I are bored," Emily complained. "He's already organized the library into a more sensible system."

Lorelai made a mental note to tell Rory to reprimand Richard for disrupting her perfectly organized library next time she made it to Friday Night Dinner. "Well, if you really want something to do, there's a basket of dirty laundry in the laundry room," she said. "Or you could wash some bottles, stock the diapers."

Emily huffed. "I came here to take care of my granddaughter, not do your housework!" she stated.

"I hate to break it to you, Mom, but fifty percent of taking care of a newborn is doing housework while she sleeps," Lorelai sighed. "Did you actually need anything or can I get back to the presentation?"

"Go ahead," Emily sighed. "But I do hope you'll remember this in the future."

"Consider it added to long term memory," Lorelai confirmed. She snapped the phone closed and turned back to the auditorium, shaking her head slightly. It wasn't often that she got to see her parents experience life as the other half did, and she always found their frustration with such tasks entertaining.

Stopping a few yards from April's project, Lorelai narrowed her eyes at the sight before her. April was nowhere to be seen, but Luke was standing uncomfortably beside the poster, hands shoved into his pockets as he looked everywhere but at the figure in front of him. She gasped out loud when she saw him jerk his arm away after Missy Tompkins placed a hand on his elbow.

"This is so not happening," she muttered before she plastered a smile on her face and trailed through the stream of people to Luke. She offered him a dazzling smile as she wrapped her hands around his arm and pressed her body against his. "Sorry, babe, just checking in on our beautiful girl."

Luke was slightly stunned at her sudden presence, but he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer than he normally would have in public. "Still perfect?" he asked.

"More so than ever," Lorelai confirmed. She rested her head on his shoulder as she turned to Missy, who was watching them with raised eyebrows. "Hi, Missy," she cooed.

"Lorelai," Missy said, her voice even. "What are you doing here?"

Lorelai gestured to April's project. "This project's been the focal point of our dinner conversations for weeks," she said. "I wouldn't have missed it."

Missy's eyes darted up and down Lorelai's body. "I would have thought you'd be trying to shed those pregnancy pounds," she said.

Luke's grip on Lorelai's shoulders tightened as she started to move towards Missy. "Not worth it," he muttered.

Lorelai struggled against his grip. "It is _so_ worth it," she countered. "She started this in high school, and today I'm going to finish it."

"You're better than that," Luke murmured, pulling her back. "Take the high road."

Glancing at Missy, Lorelai scowled and said, "You're not going to win this time."

Missy evened her gaze towards Lorelai. "Christopher got bored," she said coolly. "He will too, eventually."

"Luke's _not_ Christopher."

"You did trade up, I'll give you that," Missy said, peering around Lorelai to give Luke a hungry gaze.

Lorelai gasped and stepped in front of Luke. "What the hell did I ever do to you?" she asked. "All those years ago, when we would party together, did you ever think we were friends? Or were you just waiting to sweep in when you thought I wasn't looking? What's worse is now, we're adults and our kids are in school together, and you think it's okay to hit on my husband right in front of me! What did I do to make you hate me?"

"Oh, come on, Lorelai, you know how it works," Missy said. "You were the ringleader of our entire group."

"So?" Lorelai asked. "I was an irresponsible teenager, but that doesn't mean you can come here twenty five years later and take it out on me! Beyond that, you let your daughter take it out on April! She's the most responsible kid in the world, and she should not have to pay for the choices I made. You're the grown up, you should know that. You got what you wanted, I dropped out and you got to go to prom with Christopher and graduate and go to college. You should know better than to let teenagers turn against each other."

"And you should have kept your knees closed."

Lorelai started towards her, but felt Luke pulling her away. She struggled against his grip, but he held firm and dragged her out of the auditorium. Once they were in a quiet corner, he guided ran his hands over her shoulders. "You okay?" he asked.

She gripped his forearms and glared over his shoulder. "Why the hell is she such a bitch?" she asked.

"I don't know and frankly, I don't care," Luke said. "I care about _you."_

Lorelai inhaled deeply and folded her arms across her chest. "I just don't know what she's trying to prove," she said. "She got to be prom queen, she got to be valedictorian, she got to travel through Europe with Christopher. Everything that was going to be mine became hers, but that's not enough for her."

"Do you care about any of those things?" Luke asked softly.

"No," she muttered. "You know I wouldn't have traded Rory for anything."

"Then why does it bug you so much?"

"I don't know!" Lorelai cried, throwing her hands in the air. "Call me crazy, but I don't like when other women hit on my husband!"

He sighed. "It bugs me too," he admitted.

"I should _hope_ so."

"But it's not really that different than when you make men's heads turn to stare," Luke continued.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Come on, Lorelai, don't tell me you don't notice," Luke said. "You're a beautiful woman. My own bias and your self-assurance aside, we both know that men stop to look at you multiple times a day. It used to bug the hell out of me."

"And now?" Lorelai whispered, looking at him curiously.

"Now," Luke trailed his hand down her hand and squeezed it gently. "We trust each other. I know that you'd never let anything happen with anyone else. I hope you trust me enough to think that too."

"I do," Lorelai promised. "It's not you I don't trust, Luke, I just hate the idea that anyone else even _thinks_ they have a chance with you."

"She doesn't."

Lorelai let out a frustrated breath. "I guess I have to deal with her," she conceded. "We'll spend the next three years running into her at events like this."

Luke leaned closer. "We could always remind her that she doesn't have a shot in hell," he suggested.

A small smile began to cross Lorelai's face. "Tell me more," she requested.

"Well, we could stand a little closer than necessary," Luke started. "We'll sit right in front of her and I'll put my arm around you."

Lorelai's eyes began to sparkle. "Hmm, and I'll rest my head on your shoulder and my hand on your leg," she said. "But I'd have to be careful not to get too close to the goods. I want to make her jealous, not give her a free show of what's entirely mine."

Sensing that she was feeling better and not wanting to start anything in the public and daunting halls of his daughter's school, Luke simply squeezed her hand and took a step back. "You good?" he asked.

"I'm good," she confirmed.

"Good," he nodded. As he led her back down the hall, he asked, "What was the phone call about anyways?"

"Oh, I forgot," Lorelai said, tugging on his arm. "It was my mom. I have something very serious to tell you."

Concern filled Luke's eyes as he turned to look at her. "Is Victoria okay?" he asked.

"She's sleeping," Lorelai informed him in a grave voice.

Luke waited for her to continue and then nodded expectantly. "So?" he asked.

"Thank you!" Lorelai cried.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Luke asked.

"My mom called to complain that Victoria's been sleeping for the past hour," Lorelai said. "Apparently she was expecting that baby from the Huggies commercial that never gets tired or hungry or even has a dirty diaper. Hmm, maybe we should switch to using those."

Luke rolled his eyes. "She's really okay?" he asked.

"She's fine," Lorelai nodded. "Although I'm not sure if I will be when I get home. I told my mom to do our laundry and clean Victoria's bottles."

"Why on earth would you do that?"

"Hi, you've had a baby for two months now," Lorelai waved a hand in his face. "You know that half of caring for her is cleaning up the messes she makes."

"True," Luke nodded. "Do you think she'll do it?"

"We'll find out," Lorelai said. She glanced at her watch and commented, "I am going to go relieve them though. By the time I get home, Victoria should be just about ready for her pre-dinner snack. As will I."

"Okay," Luke said, gesturing towards the hall. "I'll try to round April up."

"Good luck with that," Lorelai said. She glanced from side to side, then stepped closer to him. "If she tries anything just remember that tonight, after the kids are asleep, I'll let you do whatever you want to me."

Luke's eyes darkened slightly as he squeezed her hand. "Really?" he asked. "I think I need a few more details."

Eyes sparkling, Lorelai leaned forward and whispered in his ear, causing his eyes to widen. "I hope you don't kiss our daughter with that mouth," he murmured in response.

She smiled as she pulled back. "I'll rinse it out with soap first," she promised. "I'll see you at home."

Luke leaned forward to kiss her. "See you at home," he agreed.

Lorelai turned to walk down the hall and he sighed as he stepped back into the auditorium. He had to give Lorelai credit; she'd sat through these events with Rory and was voluntarily doing it again for April. Not to mention her own abbreviated high school experience, but he presumed back then she'd had strategies for making them more interesting than they were. Next time he'd have to ask her about any strategies they could use.

After scanning the room and finally locating April, he quickly made his way towards her, hoping that he'd avoid Missy Tompkins at all costs. Despite his pleas to Lorelai to ignore the other woman's persistence, her advances towards him made him incredibly uncomfortable. He wasn't sure whether she was interested because she found him attractive or because it was sure to bother Lorelai, but the reasons didn't matter. Years ago he'd realized that no one would ever do for him what Lorelai Gilmore did. Even during their year apart, during his brief fling of a relationship, he'd found himself completely unsatisfied because the woman he'd been with wasn't _her._

"Dad, can Christine come over tonight?" April asked, pointing to her friend who was talking to her mother across the room.

"Sure," he said. "Did you tell her that your sister has a tendency to wake up the entire neighborhood in the middle of the night?"

"She's not _that_ loud," April countered with a smile.

"Well, as long as she's aware that there's a cute but noisy baby in the house, it's fine," Luke nodded.

"Thanks," April said.

Christine appeared beside them, and Luke nodded towards her. "Hey, Christine," he said.

"Hi, Mr. Danes."

"Luke," he corrected before he glanced between the two of them. "You need to get your backpacks or anything?"

"Yeah, our lockers are on the way out," April said. "Our projects are staying up for peer review tomorrow, so we can leave them."

"Lead the way," Luke said, gesturing towards the door. As he trailed behind them, he shoved his hands in his pockets and hoped like hell Missy Tompkins had backed off.

It wasn't until he was starting his truck, listening to April and Christine chatter, that he was able to relax. As he pulled onto the road he realized that Lorelai was right. If Missy kept this up, it was going to be a very long three years.

XXXXX

"Oh my god, you've got to see this!" Lorelai cried as she ran down the porch steps towards them an hour later.

"See what?" Luke asked. Pointing to the girls, he said, "Christine's staying over."

Lorelai paused in her excitement to offer April's friend a warm smile. "Hi, Christine, you picked a good day to come over," she said.

"What's going on?" Luke asked, his tone annoyed. All he wanted was to take off the itchy dress shirt he was wearing.

"You'll see," Lorelai said. She gripped his arm and prevented him from entering the house. "You have to be silent though, because otherwise it will disturb the moment."

"Lorelai, come on," he sighed.

"Shh!" she said, easing the door open. She pressed a hand to her own lips and tugged him towards the kitchen while the girls scurried upstairs. He peered around her into the room, his own jaw dropping when he saw his in-laws standing side by side at the sink, washing dishes. It was such a normal, every day task, but somehow seeing the high and mighty Richard and Emily Gilmore performing such a menial task was amusing.

Lorelai pulled him back into the hallway. "Did you see that?" she whispered.

Luke pointed towards the kitchen. "I didn't think they'd know how to do dishes," he commented.

"Me neither, I've got to video tape this for Rory," Lorelai said. "When I got home, they were finishing the laundry!"

With an impressed nod, Luke whispered, "We should have them babysit more often."

"Who knew, the Gilmores are actually domestic," Lorelai said. "Hey, let's go make out in the car! If we're gone long enough, they might cook dinner."

Luke laughed and shook his head. "You're something else," he informed her.

She giggled and looped her arms around his neck. "Is that a yes?" she asked.

Reaching for her hand, Luke tugged her towards the front door. "You're a bad influence," he told her.

"Like you wouldn't love having a home cooked meal, cooked by someone else," Lorelai accused.

Luke looked at her skeptically. "Well, if you and Rory inherited your cooking inhibitions from them, then I'll pass," he said.

Just as Lorelai was opening her mouth to respond, Emily's voice came from behind them.

"Good, you're home," she announced. "Your father and I have taken the liberty of making your home more organized."

Lorelai froze. "Organized?" she asked suspiciously. "What kind of organizing? Other than the library, which I'm going to let Rory deal with."

"Well, I rearranged the pictures on your mantel to a more proper arrangement," Emily said. "The largest is now in the middle and the pictures decrease by size on either side, as is the proper arrangement."

"I like how they were arranged," Lorelai complained.

"Well, they looked like you let a drunken sailor arrange them," Emily replied.

Lorelai sighed. "Is that the worst of it?" she asked.

"Your father changed the display on the library wall," Emily continued. "Honestly, Lorelai, why you put Rory's Chilton diploma before her Yale one is beyond me."

"I let _Rory_ hang her diplomas," Lorelai said through clenched teeth.

Emily rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter now, we've corrected it so the Yale diploma is in a place of prominence," she said.

"How's Victoria?" Luke interrupted Lorelai's next question. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear if Emily had snooped through their bedroom or bathroom. Knowing some of the items Lorelai had stashed in the drawer of her night table were things he didn't want _anyone_ to ever see, he decided it was best to change the topic of conversation.

"She's not woken up," Emily sighed. "Honestly, Lorelai, your daughter is fairly dull."

"I'll be sure to tell her you thought so," Lorelai said. "Next time you come to baby-sit, you'll have a murder mystery to solve over dinner."

Emily rolled her eyes, but then glanced between the two of them. "How was the presentation?" she asked.

Luke shoved his hands in his pockets. "Pretty good, April got a prize for thorough research," he said.

"Good, I'm sure it was well deserved," Emily said. "Richard! We'll be going now."

"So soon?" Lorelai asked, feigning disappointment.

"Next time, make sure Victoria is willing to play," Emily requested.

"Mom, she's two months old," Lorelai insisted. "She's not _willing_ to do anything."

Emily pulled her purse over her shoulder and crossed her arms over her chest. She glanced around the foyer, noting a picture of the family of five taken on the day Victoria had arrived home from the hospital. "You have a lovely home, Lorelai," she said in a rare moment of quiet honesty.

"Thanks, Mom," Lorelai said.

Richard appeared in the foyer with a wide smile. "Hello, Lorelai, Luke, I trust April's event went well," he said. Without waiting for a response, he turned to Emily. "Emily, we simply must buy a set of those coffee mugs for our house. They're much better than those tiny cups we've been using for as long as I can remember."

Emily rolled her eyes. "We do not need enormous coffee mugs," she said. "There's nothing wrong with our cups."

"They're quite small," Richard replied. "In the entire time we were here, I only had to refill my cup once. I much prefer that to having two or three sips before I must refill."

"Those coffee cups belonged to my mother."

"They're quite lovely for entertaining, but perhaps we could purchase some larger cups for our everyday use."

"Fine, Richard," Emily said tiredly. Turning to Lorelai, she said, "We'll see you for dinner on Friday."

"Seven, right?" Lorelai asked.

Emily breezed out the door with Richard following behind her. Lorelai closed the door behind them and turned back to Luke. "Should we wake her?" she asked.

Luke glanced down at his watch. "She's been sleeping for a pretty long time," he said cautiously.

"She'll be up all night," Lorelai sighed. "I don't want her to get off her schedule."

Luke gestured to the stairs. "I'll get her," he said.

"Thanks," Lorelai smiled. "I'm just going to change, then I'll see if she's hungry."

She followed him up the stairs and brushed a hand over his back as he entered Victoria's room. As she was dropping her blouse into the laundry basket, she heard Luke's worried voice call her name. Lorelai quickly pulled a shirt over her head and darted towards Victoria's room.

"What's wrong?" she asked, taking in the scene before her. Victoria was lying on the changing table, whimpering slightly as Luke rested his hand on her stomach with one hand, the other rummaging through the basket of various baby items beside him.

"She feels warm to me," Luke said. "I can't find the thermometer."

"You think she's sick?" Lorelai asked, scooping Victoria into her arms and holding her against her chest. She pressed her lips against her forehead and then reached a hand up to feel her cheek. "She does feel warmer than usual."

"I think we put the thermometer in the bathroom," Luke recalled, hurrying out of the room. Lorelai bounced Victoria in her arms, trying to fight the concern coursing through her. "Found it," Luke announced as he returned to her side.

Two minutes later, Victoria was crying uncomfortably as Lorelai lifted the thermometer to read it. "99.9," she sighed. "Not horrible, but…definitely a fever."

Luke ran a hand over Victoria's back. "Explains the extra sleep," he said with a worried frown. "Should we call the doctor?"

"Not yet," Lorelai said. She turned back to the changing table and reached for a bottle of children's Tylenol. "If she's anything like her big sister, this will be a challenge."

"How old was Rory when she first got sick?" Luke asked.

"Around the same age," Lorelai said as she measured the medicine into a dropper. "I was still at my parents' house."

Luke glanced at her as he sat down in the rocking chair, hoping it would calm Victoria. "That must have been fun," he speculated.

"Not even a little," Lorelai sighed. "My mom informed me it was because I kissed her too much, that I was spreading my germs to her."

Luke frowned. "No wonder you ran away," he said.

Lorelai crouched beside him and ran a hand over Victoria's stomach. "This will make you feel better, baby," she promised. "Please drink it."

Victoria adamantly refused, turning her head away and letting tears run down her face at the prospect of taking the medicine. Ten minutes and with half the bottle of medicine now spilled over Luke's shirt, Lorelai finally managed to get Victoria to swallow the medicine, much to the baby's dismay.

"Let's give it an hour or so," she suggested, taking Victoria from Luke. "If she's still upset and her fever hasn't gone down by then we'll call the doctor."

Luke nodded and gently took Victoria's foot in his hand. "I hate seeing her cry like this," he admitted.

"Me too," Lorelai said. "But she has her vaccinations, and she's getting bigger. It sucks to see, but it was bound to happen eventually. We'll keep a close eye on her."

"We will," Luke agreed. He looked down at his shirt and sighed. "Good thing I hate this shirt anyway."

Lorelai smiled. "If it had gotten onto one of your precious flannels you'd never have forgiven her," she commented.

"I would have eventually," he said. "I'll go change and then check back."

"Okay," Lorelai nodded. She looked down at Victoria, whose sobs were starting to become small whimpers. "There you go, sweet girl. I know you don't feel well, but Daddy and I will take good care of you, I promise."

XXXXX

Hours later, Lorelai paced the living room floor with a screaming Victoria in her arms. Luke was flipping through a book, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Are you sure she's not teething?" he asked.

"She's too young for that, I told you that hours ago," Lorelai said. She could feel tears filling her own eyes as she listened to her daughter's wails. "Maybe it's colic."

"Is there usually a fever with colic?" Luke asked, turning to another chapter in the book and reading it carefully.

"I think so, if it's bad enough," Lorelai said. "Does your stomach hurt, Victoria? Is that what's bothering you?"

"It could be indigestion," Luke suggested. "Or a food allergy."

"Would you put that damn book down?" Lorelai snapped. "She's not eating anything other than what I give her."

Luke tossed the book to the side and ran his hand over his face. "I don't know where else to find answers," he said.

"And you think I do?" Lorelai asked. "She's in pain, Luke."

"I know she is, and I don't know how to fix it!" Luke shot back.

Lorelai opened her mouth to respond, but then closed it. "We're not going to get anywhere yelling at each other," she said after a moment. She looked down at Victoria and ran a washcloth over her face. "She's congested."

"You think it's just a cold?"

"The medicine should help if it is," Lorelai sighed. She glanced at the clock and asked, "How soon until we can give it to her again?"

"Probably not for another half hour," Luke said. "I could set the humidifier up for her."

"Set it up in our room," Lorelai requested. "It's further away from April, so if Victoria keeps screaming she won't hear it as easily."

Luke nodded and disappeared from the living room. Lorelai looked down at her screaming daughter, wishing there was something, anything, she could do to help her feel better. "I wish you could tell me what's wrong," she said. "We're trying here, I promise we are."

Victoria turned to pull gently at Lorelai's shirt, and Lorelai sighed in frustration. "At least you're hungry," she sighed. "How about we get nice and comfortable upstairs?"

As she walked into their bedroom, Luke looked up from pouring water into the humidifier. "She's quieter," he said, nodding to Victoria.

"Yeah, she seems hungry, so we'll see," Lorelai said. "I brought her up here in case she falls asleep after she eats. I want to keep her with us."

"Good thing we kept the bassinet set up," Luke said. He plugged the humidifier in and flipped it on, then turned to Lorelai. She was struggling to hold Victoria still as they baby whined. "Not working?"

"No," Lorelai shook her head. "God, Luke, I have no idea what to do. She's obviously miserable, but she's not responding to anything."

"Should we call the doctor?" Luke asked, sitting down on the bed beside her.

Lorelai glanced at the clock. "It's three in the morning," she said. "I don't think it's anything worthy of a trip to the emergency room, but if she's still like this in the morning I'll call first thing."

Luke reached out to take Victoria, rocking her as Lorelai straightened her shirt. "She keeps scrunching her legs up," he said. "Like it's her stomach that's bugging her."

"I'll get a warm washcloth," Lorelai said, slipping off the bed. "Maybe it'll sooth her stomach if we hold it there for a bit."

Not taking his eyes off of Victoria, Luke nodded. "I'll try anything at this point," he said. "I hate seeing her like this."

When Lorelai returned from the bathroom a few moments later, she saw the raw worry and guilt in Luke's expression when his eyes met hers. "She'll be okay, Luke," she assured. "Babies get sick."

Luke met her gaze with a dubious glare. "Uh huh, and you were this calm when Rory got sick for the first time?" he asked.

"No, but she was my fir…" Lorelai trailed off and darted her eyes away from his, instead focusing on applying the washcloth to Victoria's stomach.

"So you get it," Luke murmured. "She's the first baby I've taken care of. I think I'm allowed to be a little freaked out over this."

"You are," Lorelai nodded. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up."

"I don't want all of Victoria's firsts to be tainted," Luke said. "I'll always regret not being there for April, but I don't want you to feel like we can't talk about Victoria's milestones, good and bad."

"I know how much you wanted to be there for April," Lorelai said softly.

"That's true, but it shouldn't effect how we raise Victoria," Luke replied. "Just like you being a single mom for so long shouldn't effect her."

Lorelai met his gaze with a small smile. "We've certainly had different parenting experiences," she acknowledged.

"And now we get to do it together," Luke said. "You're the one who's done this before, it's not going to offend me if you draw on your experience with Rory."

"Are you sure?" Lorelai asked. "I mean, you could have had experience too."

Luke nodded slowly. "I got past that a long time ago," he said. "It will always be…I don't know, disappointing, I guess, but Anna did do a great job. There's nothing I can do about it now. I promise I won't feel bittersweet for all of Victoria's firsts."

"Except right now," Lorelai said, frowning as their daughter began to cry again, grasping onto Luke's t-shirt desperately.

"Now's not bittersweet, it's downright miserable," Luke said. "I hate seeing her sick more than I hate myself being sick."

"Me too," Lorelai sighed. "It must be so hard for her not to tell us what she needs. At least when Rory or April gets sick they can communicate it."

"Want to try feeding her again?" Luke asked.

Lorelai started to reach for Victoria, but the baby immediately turned her head away and grasped tightly onto Luke's shirt. Her legs kicked slightly, and she stiffened her entire body. "Apparently she's not hungry," Lorelai sighed. "She's a Daddy's girl already."

Luke settled her back against his chest and leaned against the pillows. "Probably the t-shirt," he shrugged. "It's soft."

"Nope, I think it's all you, babe," Lorelai said with a smile. "I know from personal experience that it's a pretty great place to be, especially if you need a little pick me up."

A self conscious smile appeared on Luke's chest. "Yeah, I'm a regular ladies' man," he said.

Lorelai frowned. "I'm too tired to pick up on sarcasm, so I'm hoping you meant it that way," he said.

"You've had a long day," Luke murmured. "Want to try to get some sleep in Rory's room?"

"Are you kicking me out of our bed?" Lorelai gasped.

"Never," Luke said. Glancing down at Victoria he noted, "She's starting to calm down. I'm afraid to move or I'll wake her. But you need sleep."

"I'm fine," Lorelai said. "You're just as tired as I am. And I don't want to leave her right now."

"Yeah, me neither," Luke said. He leaned back into the pillows and continued to rub Victoria's back. "It's good that she's sleeping, right?"

"Don't jinx it," Lorelai requested. She lay her head on her own pillow and looked at Victoria. "She's still not quite there."

"Sorry." Luke remained quiet for a long moment, running a soothing hand over Victoria's back. After a few moments, he felt his daughter's breathing become more even, despite the nasally quality of her inhales. He remained still for another long moment before he carefully stood and placed her in the bassinet on Lorelai's side of the bed. He arranged the humidifier so it was closer to the bassinet, then slid into bed and snapped off his light. He'd assumed Lorelai was already out, but when he pulled the covers over himself, he felt Lorelai slide closer to him and run her fingers over his arm.

"I really love you," she whispered tiredly.

"Back at you, beautiful girl."

She was quiet, and then he felt her shift onto her back. "I'm not going to be able to sleep, worrying about her," she confessed.

Relieved to hear that he wasn't the only one who felt that way, Luke turned onto his side to face her. "Me neither," he admitted.

"I'm glad she's sleeping, but I'm still worried," Lorelai said. "By the way, my parents are never babysitting again."

"Why not?" Luke asked tiredly.

"Because she got her first cold the first time they babysat," Lorelai replied. "It starts off slow, but by the third time we allow it she's got tonsillitis, and by the fifth time she's going to need a kidney transplant."

"Fine," Luke sighed. He was too exhausted to banter right now.

"I'm going to stay home tomorrow," Lorelai said.

"Me too."

"We don't both have to stay," Lorelai replied.

"Fine, then I'll stay and you can go to work," Luke informed her, knowing she'd cave.

"Ugh, fine, use that reverse psychology on me," Lorelai said.

"Works," Luke sighed. He burrowed under the covers and shoved his pillow under his head, tangling one of his legs through Lorelai's. "Night."

"Night," Lorelai whispered. She settled onto her own pillow, then closed her eyes, willing sleep to overpower her concern for Victoria.

Finally, she felt herself slipping into the sweet realm of sleep, and soon she was engulfed in a deep, dreamless slumber.

XXXXX

"Are you sure it's not anything to worry about?" Lorelai asked their pediatrician the following morning. She bit her lip as she watched Luke lift Victoria onto his shoulder, the exam now complete.

"Positive," the doctor responded. "I know first fevers can be scary, but she's fine. Just a bit of a cold. Keep monitoring her temperature and giving her Tylenol. If there's no change, or her fever gets worse in the next forty-eight hours, call back and we'll reevaluate."

"Is there any relief we can give her?" Luke asked as he leaned against the exam table and rocked a whimpering Victoria.

"The humidifier is good," the doctor replied. "As is the warm compress, but try it on her forehead. If it's a cold, she might be feeling pressure there. Her breathing is a little congested, but I'm confident that will go away as she recovers from the cold."

Lorelai nodded slowly, but her face remained unconvinced. "We sterilized all her toys and bottles twice," she said. "And disinfected the railings of her crib."

"All good to prevent her from getting more sick," the doctor confirmed. "I am going to recommend that we push back her eight week vaccinations though."

"Push back?" Lorelai asked. "For how long? What are the side effects? Will she get polio if she doesn't get the shot right away?"

The doctor glanced at Luke with an amused smile, hoping for some understanding, but was met only with a stone cold glare. Clearing his throat, he assured, "There hasn't been a case of polio in Stars Hollow for over fifty years. If we push Victoria's immunizations until next week, her body will be better equipped to respond than she is right now."

"Okay," Lorelai sighed. She glanced at Luke, then nodded again. "Okay."

The doctor signed off on his chart, then turned to Lorelai. "Mrs. Danes, you've got a wonderfully healthy girl," he said. "She's growing well, and I know this is scary, but in a couple days she'll be as good as new."

"Thanks," Lorelai said with a small smile. "I guess I'll believe you in a couple days."

With a smile, the doctor stood and gestured to the door. "Make sure that you two are taking care of yourselves," he suggested as he walked them out. "If you get sick, your body can handle it easily, but Victoria will be much more susceptible to germs that are common to you. Take care of yourselves so you'll be able to take care of her."

Lorelai glared at Luke. "Hear that, Mr. 'I don't need sleep?'" she asked.

"Like you're one to talk Lorelai "I don't need breakfast,'" Gilmore Danes," Luke responded quickly.

Sighing, Lorelai turned back to the doctor. "We'll eat and try to sleep," she said. "You're right, Victoria needs both of us."

The doctor nodded towards the reception counter. "Go ahead and make an appointment for her immunizations next week," he suggested. "And please, if you have any other questions or concerns, call."

"You're going to regret that offer," Luke muttered.

With a smile, the doctor shook his head. "We put an intern on middle of the night calls," he said. "That way the rest of us don't have to listen to panicked new parents."

"Uh, I think the term you're looking for is 'concerned parents who want their kid to be healthy,'" Lorelai supplied.

Luke sighed and looked down at Victoria. "Thanks for everything, doctor," he said. "We appreciate it."

"No problem."

Lorelai quickly made an appointment for the following Wednesday, then turned to Victoria. She was still clutching onto Luke's flannel, clearly not willing to be separated from her father. "After spending nine months with me, she likes you better," she sighed. "I guess I should have known."

"She's just playing catch up," Luke promised.

"She better be, or I'm going to hold the whole giving birth to her thing over her head for the rest of her life," Lorelai confirmed.

"You're going to do that anyway," Luke stated knowingly as they walked to the car. At Lorelai's gasp of offense, he continued, "Two days ago you tried to guilt trip Rory into visiting by reminding her that you were in labor with her for twenty six hours."

Lorelai leaned over Victoria's car seat as she strapped her in. "At least you tortured me for a solid ten hours less than your sister did," she said.

Luke shook his head slightly as Lorelai slipped into the passenger seat beside him. "Think Victoria will be up for the trip to Boston?" he asked.

"Well, considering it's three weeks away, I sure as hell hope so," Lorelai said. "And we're not going to be taking her to Fenwick or anything yet."

"Fenway."

"Whatever," Lorelai waved a hand. "I just hate that I haven't even seen Rory's apartment. I feel like the worst mom in the world."

"Well, Rory moved a week after you gave birth," Luke said. "She knows you weren't exactly in the best condition to travel."

"Logically, I know that," Lorelai sighed. "I guess I never thought that me having another kid would mean I would sacrifice parts of my relationship with Rory."

"You're not sacrificing them, just adjusting them," Luke murmured. "She's a grown up, it's not like we would have held her hand like when she moved to Yale."

"True," Lorelai sighed. "She doesn't need us to do that anymore."

Hearing her bittersweet tone, Luke commented, "I'm sure she'd take great pleasure in having me move a mattress in and out of her apartment just as much as she did the first time."

Lorelai giggled. "You were always there," she said. "Even with all the stuff you were going through at that time, you helped move Rory into college without questioning it."

"There was plenty of questioning it," Luke said.

Lorelai shook her head. "No, you were completely willing to do it," she said. "Not without some complaining, but you complain about everything."

"I do not."

"Town meetings, movie night rules, fixing the stuck living room window…" Lorelai listed. "Shopping, mak…"

"I _used_ to complain about that stuff," Luke conceded. "I've gotten better."

Lorelai smiled as he pulled into the driveway and turned to offer her the captivated look he always gave her when he was thinking about their relationship. "You have," she stated. "Fatherhood's completely mellowed you out."

Leaning across the console, Luke kissed her softly. "You've had a role in that too," he informed her.

"Wow, no one's ever told me I've helped the mellow out before," Lorelai said. "Except in high school, but that was a completely different kind of mellow."

"Not in front of Victoria," Luke hissed.

"Uh huh, just because you escaped high school without getting into major trouble, I know you had fun, Butch," Lorelai said.

"Nope, I was completely innocent in the ways of the world until I met you," Luke said.

Lorelai shook her head as she unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door. "You forget that during the brief time Rachel came back here, we did some girl talk," she said.

"What?" Luke asked, watching as she slid out of the car. "Lorelai? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Lorelai said, flashing him an innocent smile. She slammed the passenger door closed and then opened the backdoor, leaning over Victoria.

"I don't believe you," Luke said, meeting her at the sidewalk and following her to the porch. "What did Rachel tell you?"

Lorelai glanced down at Victoria. "You really want me to tell you in front of our daughter?" she asked.

Luke's eyes widened. "Whatever she said, it wasn't true," he said quickly.

"Oh yes it is," Lorelai said with a twinkle in her eyes. "I got my proof. Years too late, but most of what she said was confirmed."

"Like what?" Luke narrowed his eyes.

Lorelai smiled as she opened the front door. "Well, she did some…bragging," she said.

Luke was starting to get frustrated. "You're not making sense," he informed her.

"Come on, Luke, two girls in their thirties talking girl talk," Lorelai said. "What do you _think_ she was bragging about?"

"She told you about her and I…and that?" Luke asked, his face reddening.

Lorelai shrugged. "It's what girls do," she said. "But trust me, I was made very curious, especially by her comments about _size."_ She giggled as Luke's face grew even redder and decided to take pity on him. "Don't worry, I was very impressed."

With a shake of his head, Luke put his hands on his hips. "We are not going to have this conversation in front of our sick daughter," he said.

"You're the one who wouldn't stop asking questions," Lorelai replied.

Luke scowled. "Did she really tell you all about that?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, I thought we weren't allowed to talk about this in front of her," Lorelai said in a sing song voice as she walked towards the living room.

"Lorelai, come on," Luke said as he followed her.

"Well, she didn't exactly put it into a romance novel, but we exchanged a few details," Lorelai said. "It's what girls do. Don't you do it too? Brag about me with your guy friends?"

"Well, yeah, but I don't give them visuals," Luke frowned. "Do you still talk about that stuff? With Sookie or whoever?"

"Sometimes," Lorelai admitted. "But again, it's pretty not specific. I don't even go into as much detail as Rachel did. Does it bug you?"

"Depends what you're saying."

A small smile stretched across Lorelai's face. "Well, just enough to let Sookie know that I am very satisfied," she said. "Plus, I don't think anyone thinks were exactly celibate."

"She proves otherwise," Luke acknowledged as he sat down beside Lorelai on the couch.

Lorelai returned her attention to Victoria, who was starting to snore softly in her arms. "If we keep talking about stuff like this in front of her, we're going to be taken off the short list for parents of the year," she said. "Especially since she's sick."

"Rachel's not important," Luke murmured. "Not anymore."

Lorelai nodded. "I know," she said. "It's weird how stuff kind of pops into my head sometimes though."

"Yeah, but we have more important, more adorable things to focus on now," Luke said, gently rubbing his thumb over the back of Victoria's hand.

"That we do," Lorelai sighed. "At the moment, our biggest focus should be how to stop her from snoring like you."

Luke laughed slightly. "She has a cold," he said. "I hate to break it to you, but even you snore when your nose gets stuffed up."

"I do not!" Lorelai cried defensively.

"Mom's in denial," Luke said as he leaned towards Victoria. "But it's true."

"Don't listen to Daddy, he's mean," Lorelai addressed the baby.

"What exactly is mean about me?" he asked. "Cooking for you? Raising kids with you? Marrying you?"

Lorelai couldn't help the smile that stretched across her face. "Fine, I take it back, you're not mean," she relented.

"Thank you."

"But I maintain that I don't snore."

Luke shook his head and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Whatever you say, beautiful girl," he placated.

"I love when you call me that," Lorelai admitted.

"It's true," he said, playing with a strand of her hair.

"I know!" Lorelai declared, but her eyes grew serious. "It makes me feel special."

Luke shrugged. "I guess that's the point of a nickname," he said.

Lorelai nodded slowly. "It's definitely the better of the two I've had," she sighed. After a beat, she turned to look at him with a sparkle in her eyes. "But I guess you know a thing or two about nicknames, huh, Butch?"

"Jeez," Luke rolled his eyes. "That's never going to go away, is it?"

"Nope," Lorelai said. She examined him with a smile. "How did it come up?"

"What, the Butch thing?" Luke asked.

"Yeah."

He waved a hand aimlessly through the air. "Just a bunch of teenage guys being teenage guys," he said with a shrug. "I was the only one able to bench press over two hundred pounds and I was probably bragging about it. One of the other guys said it, and it became a team thing. Then it just caught on I guess. It died down for awhile there."

"But then I came along," Lorelai said with a smile.

"Then you came along," Luke agreed. "I'm actually surprised it took you that long to figure that out."

Lorelai shrugged. "I didn't exactly spend a lot of time in Stars Hollow High," she replied. She looked down at Victoria and asked, "Do you think she'll have a nickname once she gets up there?"

"Maybe," Luke said.

"I hope it's a good one," Lorelai said.

"Oh, it will be," Luke nodded confidently.

Lorelai smiled. "You've already proved you're not above beating up teenagers," she said. "I guess that will come in handy when she becomes one."

"Let's not rush it," Luke suggested, returning his gaze to Victoria.

"Hmm, okay," Lorelai said, leaning into Luke as she cradled Victoria close. "First smile, first cold. Hopefully her next first will be another one to add to the positive column."

"First laugh," Luke speculated. "I hope it's yours."

"Or her own," Lorelai replied. "I want her to be her own person."

"Me too," he agreed. "But there's nothing wrong with her having a little bit of you."

"Or a little bit of you."

"Guess not," Luke shrugged. "For now, I just hope she feels better."

"She's sleeping," Lorelai sighed. Her own eyes were growing heavy as she rested her head on Luke's shoulder. "We should sleep too."

"You sleep," Luke said, pulling Victoria into his arms. "I'll put her down in a minute."

Lorelai let Victoria go and snuggled deeper into the couch, resting her head against Luke's thigh as she fell into a safe slumber.


	12. Chapter 12

**In my social media freeze out to avoid any revival spoilers, I've been putting more energy into this story. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"I hate driving in this city," Luke grumbled as he turned down a one way street in a small residential section of Cambridge.

"Well, to be fair, you hate everything," Lorelai said as she leaned towards the mirror, brushing mascara over her eyelashes.

"I don't hate everything," Luke defended.

"Okay, maybe not everything," Lorelai consented. "But you hate everything about cities."

"Because they're stifling and dirty," Luke said with a sigh. "Are you sure it's okay for Victoria to be here?"

"Yes, Luke, they've proven that babies can survive two days in a city," Lorelai said. "There's even a rumor that some people raise babies in cities."

Luke glanced in the rearview mirror. "I don't want her to get scared," he said.

"Well, she survived Babette and Patty practically ripping her out of your arms at the diner last week," Lorelai pointed out. "This should be a piece of cake. Especially since we're walking her from the car to Rory's apartment, and that's pretty much it for this time around."

"What number is it?" Luke asked.

"740," Lorelai replied automatically.

Luke pulled the car through another intersection, then pulled into a parking space on the street. Sensing Lorelai's eagerness, he nodded towards the backseat. "I'll get Victoria, you go to Rory," he stated.

"Thank you." Lorelai was already halfway up the path leading to the house that had been transformed into apartments. Rory flung the door open, and Luke shook his head slightly as he watched mother and daughter embrace tightly.

He stepped out of his side of the car and proceeded to unstrap Victoria from her car seat, smiling softly at her as he did so. "Your big sister is very excited to see you," he told her. He reached for her tote bag and flung it over his shoulder before he lifted her into his arms. "And feel free to hate that boyfriend of hers."

With a sigh, Luke looked at the various items still stacked in the trunk of the car, but decided to forgo them for now. He was anxious to see Rory and make sure her new apartment was acceptable.

"Oh my god, she's so big!" Rory squealed, bounding down the porch towards him. She didn't even glance at him as she pulled Victoria out of his arms. "Hi, baby sister, remember me? I'm the one who sends you all those books."

"Nice to see you too," Luke grumbled.

Rory giggled and turned to him. "Sorry, Luke," she said. She offered him a one armed hug, then stepped back to smile down at Victoria. "I talk to you on the phone, but I haven't seen her since she was so little."

"She's still pretty little," Lorelai commented as Rory and Luke reached her.

"Way bigger than when I left Stars Hollow," Rory replied. "Come on in, Ethan will be home soon."

Lorelai leaned forward and whispered something in Rory's ear, glancing at Luke as she did so. Rory rolled her eyes and charged ahead while Luke narrowed his eyes at his wife. "What did you say to her?" he asked.

"Nothing," Lorelai replied in an innocent voice.

Not believing her, but also not sure if he wanted to know what they were discussing, Luke simply followed Lorelai into the house and through a door on their left which led to Rory's apartment.

"Wow, this place is huge!" Lorelai exclaimed, taking in the large living room and archway into a dining room with vaulted ceilings.

"I know, it's beautiful," Rory said, still rocking Victoria in her arms. There was a couch resting beside the wall in front of them, flanked on either side by armchairs. A TV was mounted to the wall beside the door, and through the archway Luke could see a dining table. "Ethan thinks the kitchen's too small, but he can deal with it."

"Amen," Lorelai said. "Give us the tour."

Rory led them through the dining room and opened a door to the right. "This is…our bedroom," she mumbled, glancing briefly at Luke with a look of uncertainty.

Lorelai smiled as she peered inside. "It kind of reminds me of your old room," she said. There was a row of windows in front of them, and two dressers arranged on either side of a door Luke assumed was a closet. He shifted his feet as he tried to look anywhere but at the large, neatly made bed.

"Down here's the bathroom and the guest room," Rory replied, leading them further down the hall. She gestured to the bathroom and then led them into a small room which housed a double bed, a desk, and a wall filled with bookshelves.

"Wow, it's like this place was made for you," Lorelai commented.

Rory smiled. "It's been good so far," she said. "We're only two blocks from the Red Line, and when it's nice I can walk an extra block to Harvard for work."

"Looks great, kid," Luke said as he cleared his throat.

"Thanks, Luke," Rory said with a smile. "Let's go sit in the living room, I want to hear all about my sister."

Once Luke and Lorelai were settled on the couch and Rory was cuddling Victoria in one of the arm chairs, Lorelai asked, "Where's the boy?"

"Still at work," Rory replied. "He's been working late all week so you two can go to the Red Sox game tomorrow afternoon," she addressed Luke.

Luke nodded. "It's been a long time since I went to a game," he admitted.

"Don't blame me, I told you to do your manly things," Lorelai said with a shrug. "You've just chosen not to do them recently."

He patted her knee gently. "I know," he said.

Lorelai's eyes drifted from him to a set of pictures on the wall. The first was of her and Rory, smiling at the camera on the porch of their former house. The second was of the newly formed family of four at Luke and Lorelai's wedding, and the final was of their family with its newest addiction on the day Victoria had come home from the hospital. Some other pictures were scattered about; Ethan with a man Lorelai assumed was his father, and on the perpendicular wall was a large map of the United States with colored pins covering it.

"Nice decorations," she said.

Rory glanced at the pictures and smiled. "It's nice to have some part of home with me," she said.

"And the map?" Lorelai asked.

"All the places we've been," Rory replied. "Blue pins are mine, red are Ethan's, white is both of us."

"Cool idea," Lorelai nodded. "Especially for my little world traveler. It's probably my own fault for buying you that stuffed globe."

Rory shrugged. "What can I say, I like knowing about the world," she said. Looking down at Victoria, she stated, "I'll take you on all kinds of trips someday."

The door opened and the three of them turned to see Ethan walk in, a laptop bag slung over his torso. "Hey, everyone," he said as he ducked out of the bag and dropped it on the floor beside the door. "Sorry I'm late."

Luke and Lorelai both stood, and Lorelai offered Ethan a smile as he kissed her cheek gently. "It's good to see you," she said. "You've got a great place here."

"Thanks, it's been good so far," Ethan confirmed, turning to shake Luke's hand. "Good to see you, Luke."

"Yeah, you too," Luke nodded.

Rory stood and held Victoria proudly. "This is my sister," she informed Ethan, who laughed slightly.

"Good, I thought your parents had rented another baby," he said, leaning down to examine Victoria closely. Glancing at Lorelai, he asked, "May I?"

"Of course," Lorelai said.

Ethan gently eased Victoria into his arms and smiled down at her. "Hi, Victoria," he said. "Wow, pictures really didn't do you justice. Your dad wasn't kidding when he said you have your big sister's eyes."

Lorelai's heart twisted in her chest as she watched Rory step closer to Ethan and the young couple admired Victoria together. It was amazing how natural the two of them looked huddling over a baby, and Lorelai knew that it wouldn't be too long before she had to let go of another part of her oldest daughter.

Luke rested his hand on her shoulder and leaned in closer. "You okay?" he asked. Clearly he was thinking the same thing she was.

"Yeah," she sighed, leaning back into him. "Just surreal."

"Okay, so we have a proposition for you," Rory said.

"Proposition?" Lorelai asked suspiciously.

"Yes," Rory replied. "We know that you haven't had a lot of time to relax since Victoria was born, so we're going to baby sit."

"Rory, we came to see you," Luke replied. "We have plenty of people who can baby sit back home if we need a night out."

Ethan looked down at Rory. "I told you they'd say no," he stated.

Rory ignored him and continued to address Luke and Lorelai. "I figured you'd say that," she said. "So tonight, we'll all have dinner and you can stay here like we planned. But tomorrow, you guys will go to the baseball game and Mom, Victoria and I will go shopping. I'll bring Victoria home with me, and you two have a reservation at the Clock Tower."

"Clock Tower?" Lorelai asked.

"It's the hotel in Quincy Market downtown," Rory replied. "It's a famous Boston landmark. Technically it's now owned by the Marriott hotels, but it's way more fun to call it the Clock Tower."

"We got a room for you already," Ethan said gently. "We thought it would be a nice break for you."

Lorelai shook her head. "That's sweet, but she's still too young for us to be away from her," she said quietly. "Especially me."

Rory nodded slightly in understanding. "Well, how about you go for dinner there at least?" she said. "Then if you want to come back, you can. Or if you want to stay downtown, you can do that too."

Lorelai glanced at Luke, who was looking at Rory curiously. "What do you think?" she asked quietly.

Luke ran a hand over his neck. "We could at least do dinner," he said.

" _You_ want to go to dinner in downtown Boston?" Lorelai asked, eyebrows raised in surprise. "You're constantly surprising me, Cool Hand."

"Okay, well, it's settled," Rory said firmly. "At least give me some time alone with my sister. I need to tell her all our secrets."

"What secrets?" Lorelai asked.

"Like how to get Luke to do anything she wants," Rory replied. "And how to talk you out of crazy ideas like install a burrito machine in the living room."

Lorelai frowned as she turned to Luke. "I think she's trying to turn our daughter against us," she said.

"Well, we can always tell Victoria about the time that Rory took ballet classes," Luke shot back.

Rory gasped. "You will not!" she said.

Ethan looked at Rory with amusement. "You took ballet classes?" he asked.

"I was twelve," Rory frowned, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at Luke.

"She pranced all over the house," Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"And the diner."

"Thank god that ended quickly."

"Yeah, I wasn't very good," Rory conceded. "There may have been a tumble or two."

Lorelai leaned towards Ethan and whispered in a stage voice, "She may have brought down three other swans during the Swan Lake performance."

"It wasn't my fault!" Rory cried. "I just…kicked when I shouldn't have."

"It's okay, we love you anyway," Lorelai soothed. "I'm starving. What are the chances of us finding good Italian food in this city?"

Rory laughed. "Um, pretty good," she said. "And after dinner, we'll go to Mike's Pastries. World famous and definitely the best Danishes and pastries I've ever tasted. No offense, Daddy Luke."

He held his hands up innocently in front of him. "Who am I to compete with world fame?" he asked.

Lorelai smiled and pointed towards the door. "We'll just get our stuff," she said. "I want to change before we go to dinner."

"Oh, I'll help you," Rory said, following them towards the door. Luke walked ahead to the car, but Lorelai held Rory back at the bottom of the porch steps. "What?" Rory asked curiously.

Lorelai didn't say anything, but pulled Rory into a tight embrace. Rory hugged her back, and when they pulled apart a moment later, Lorelai reached out to smooth Rory's bangs away from her forehead. "You're happy, here, in Boston?" she asked. "With Ethan?"

"Very happy," Rory promised. "I miss you, Mom, but this is where I'm supposed to be."

Lorelai squeezed her hand. "Good," she said. "Just don't forget the mommy."

"Never," Rory promised.

Wrapping her arm around Rory's shoulders, Lorelai mused, "Who would have thought, all those years we dreamed of Harvard, we were right?"

Rory smiled. "Yep, just a little off with the timing," she confirmed.

"Seems to be what I do best," Lorelai sighed.

"What do you mean?" Rory frowned.

"Well, I love you, babe, but you arrived on the scene about ten years before I'd ever expected," Lorelai replied. "And your sister…she came a couple years later than I'd have liked."

Rory followed her mother's gaze to where Luke was pulling the hatch door of their jeep closed, their suitcases and Victoria's travel bassinet sitting on the sidewalk. "I think it's all worked out," she said.

"Yeah, it has," Lorelai sighed. With a smile, she let out a wolf whistle and called, "Nice hustle, Danes!"

"You going to help, Gilmore Danes?" he called back without hesitation.

"We're coming," Lorelai smiled, pulling Rory towards the car. "But don't get used to it. We're far too pretty to perform manual labor on a regular basis."

XXXXX

It was in the middle of that night when Lorelai heard Victoria whimpering, and she quickly sat up, leaning over the side of Rory's guest bed to peer into the travel bassinet. Victoria's face was scrunched and she was squirming, a sure sign that she was hungry and about to start really crying. With a sigh, Lorelai quickly slid out of bed, glancing at Luke behind her. He immediately rolled into her side of the bed, murmuring something incoherent as he did so.

"I'm just going to feed her," she whispered, reaching down to pick Victoria up.

"Coffee inventory," Luke murmured, clearly in the middle of a dream, and Lorelai smiled down at her daughter.

"And he pretends he doesn't care about coffee," she said quietly.

She settled down onto the couch, but as she started to unbutton her pajama shirt, she realized she'd pumped only a few hours ago, after Victoria had slept through her evening feeding. "Well's dry, babe, we'll have to get the bottle," she sighed, standing and making her way into the kitchen.

She was sitting on the couch in Rory's living room, feeding Victoria a bottle, when the master bedroom door cracked open. A moment later, Ethan appeared, blurry eyed as he looked at her. "Lorelai?" he asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, just the routine midnight feeding," Lorelai replied. "I'm sorry if I woke you, I was trying to be quiet."

"You didn't," he replied. "Just thirsty."

Lorelai smiled. "Well, don't let me stop you," she said.

Ethan disappeared into the kitchen, and returned later with two tall glasses of water. "Want some company?" he asked.

"Sure," Lorelai said.

He sat down beside her and placed one of the glasses in front of her on the coffee table. He took a long sip of his own water, then commented, "Rory's really glad you're here."

"So am I," Lorelai replied. "I'm sorry it took so long for me to visit."

"You had a pretty good excuse," Ethan said, peering at Victoria, who was finishing the last of her bottle.

"I guess so," Lorelai said. She regarded Ethan carefully for a moment, then said, "I'm glad she has you."

Ethan cleared his throat and shifted slightly on the couch. "I'm actually glad we crossed paths," he said. "I was hoping I'd get a chance to talk to you privately this weekend."

Lorelai looked up at the ceiling and squeezed her eyes closed, knowing exactly what was coming. "I figured this was coming soon," she admitted.

"I love Rory a lot," Ethan continued. "She's the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Same here."

Ethan leaned forward and set his water on the table. He clasped his hands together and stared down at the floor before he turned to look at Lorelai. "She looks up to you," he said. "You're her best friend. She cares what you think more than anyone else in the world, and she still depends on you for a lot."

Lorelai smiled ruefully. "You understand that I was the only one she had for a long time," she said. "I was so young when I had her, we grew up together, learned a lot of life lessons together. It's not conventional, but it's us."

"I hope you know that I respect that," Ethan said. "You and your family have been so welcoming to me, and I appreciate that."

"We just want you to make Rory happy," Lorelai replied. "You do."

"I hope so," Ethan admitted. "She makes me happy."

"She has a habit of doing that to people," Lorelai confirmed.

Ethan met Lorelai's gaze evenly and said, "I want to ask her to marry me."

Lorelai sighed. She'd been in this exact position once before with Logan Huntzburger, but this was different. She could feel it in her bones, she was looking at her future son in law, and it was a feeling she'd never had with Logan. "She's really special," Lorelai said.

"I know, and I'd never do anything to change her," Ethan said quickly. "I don't want her to be anyone she's not. I just want her to let me grow and change with her."

 _Marriage isn't so bad, if you can find that person who doesn't want to change you or make you eat French food._

Lorelai smiled at the memory of Luke's confession that he wasn't completely opposed to marriage, minutes before she'd backed out of her upcoming wedding to Max. They had been years older than Ethan and Rory were now, and yet they'd both been so confused by marriage and what they expected from it. She was glad that her daughter didn't have those same inhibitions, and had found a man who wanted her to be her.

"Then you should ask her," Lorelai said.

"Really?" Ethan asked. He looked surprised, as if he'd expected to have to do more convincing.

"Really," Lorelai nodded. "It's not my choice, it's Rory's."

"Yeah, but she's going to want to talk to you before she answers me," Ethan replied. "She's going to want your advice. I guess I just want to know what you think, so I can prepare myself either way."

"I'll tell her that I like you, and I think you'll make her happy," Lorelai said. "I'll tell her that I see some of the same things that make my marriage work in your relationship. But speaking as someone who had a very rocky road to a happy marriage, I'll also tell her that if she's not sure she's ready, she should tell you now, before you're both in too deep. I couldn't stand to see her relationships crumble the way mine did for a long time. I don't want her to go through that pain."

Ethan nodded slowly. "That makes sense," he said. "Thanks for being honest."

Lorelai set Victoria's bottle on the table and then raised the baby to her shoulder, gently patting her back. "I hope she says yes," she said. "I think she will."

"Thanks," Ethan repeated. "Can I ask you for some advice?"

"Yes, you should always buy your mother in law fancy jewelry for Christmas," Lorelai said with a nod of confirmation.

"I'll remember that," Ethan laughed. Growing serious, he said, "I was going to talk to Luke, when we go to the Red Sox game tomorrow, about this."

"Okay," Lorelai said.

"Is that too much?" Ethan asked. "I know Rory sees him as her dad, but you're the one who raised her by yourself, so I'm not sure if talking to him crosses some sort of weird stepfamily line."

"Talk to him," Lorelai said. "If I know my husband like I think I do, he'll tell you to talk to me. When you tell him you already did, he'll turn about six shades of red, refuse to look you in the eye, and tell you that if you hurt Rory he'll kill you. And with something as serious as marriage, I'm not sure he'd be kidding."

"Oh," Ethan said, his eyes widening. "I thought…things were okay."

"They are," Lorelai said. "He likes you, Ethan. But you've got to understand that to me and Luke, Rory's still ten years old, clutching onto our arms as we drag her around the pond during her first ice skating trip. It's hard for us to let go of that."

"I know," Ethan said. "You've both been so kind to include me in your family. It's been a long time since it was anyone besides my dad and me."

Lorelai smiled. "I'd like to meet him someday," she said softly. "You know, before the wedding."

Ethan laughed. "You will," he said. "He loves Rory."

"Who wouldn't?" Lorelai asked.

"Good point," Ethan agreed. He cleared his throat and said, "I'm glad you're okay with this, but I don't exactly have a plan, so would you mind not saying anything?"

"You got it."

Ethan relaxed. "Thanks," he said.

Lorelai shrugged. "I'm an expert secret keeper," she said. "My parents didn't know Rory existed until I was I was five and a half months pregnant."

"Well, Rory's still keeping the fact that we live together a secret from them," Ethan replied. "I felt like I was on trial when I met them."

"If you run out of conversation topics after Luke threatens to kill you tomorrow, ask him for tips on the Gilmores," Lorelai suggested. "They sure gave him a run for his money. Even broke us up for a couple weeks. But somehow he's won them over."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ethan said. He fought off a yawn, and asked, "Do you need anything?"

"No, thanks, I'm fine," Lorelai said. "I'm going to put this one to bed and then try to get a little more sleep myself."

"Okay," Ethan stood with her. "Goodnight."

"Night," Lorelai said, walking towards the guest room.

"Lorelai?" She turned to look at Ethan expectantly, and he offered her a smile. "Thanks."

She nodded, offering him a warm smile. "You're welcome," she said before she turned and slipped back into the guest room. She placed Victoria back in the travel bassinet, then slipped back into bed. The bed was smaller than their bed at home, but she didn't mind being close to Luke. She rested her head on his shoulder and tossed her leg over his, smiling when she felt him automatically wrap his arm around her.

"Thanks for marrying me," she whispered before she snuggled closer to him and drifted off to sleep.

XXXXX

The following afternoon, Luke returned to his seat behind home base and handed Ethan a plastic cup of beer. "I forgot how good it feels to be here," he said.

Ethan nodded as he looked around the crowd. "It's just preseason, but it's still effective," he confirmed.

"I used to com here with my dad," Luke disclosed. "One time, we saw a no hitter against the Yankees."

"Wow," Ethan said. "And that was back when we were still cursed."

"Pure luck on our part," Luke shrugged. "Rory and April aren't much for baseball, but maybe I can still convince Victoria to become a fan."

Ethan shook his head. "Good luck with Lorelai and Rory on the same side against you," he stated.

"Yeah, it's probably a losing battle," Luke agreed.

They were quiet for a moment, both of them taking in the dedicated Red Sox fans who'd braved the cool New England spring breeze to cheer on their team. After a moment, Ethan cleared his throat and said, "I wanted to thank you, for making me feel welcome in your family."

Luke shrugged as he sipped his beer. "Didn't have much of a choice," he said. "Rory wanted you there."

"Yeah, but you didn't have to make it easy," Ethan said. "Especially considering how you beat Rory's first boyfriend up in the street."

"I didn't beat him up," Luke scoffed.

"So there wasn't a headlock?" Ethan asked.

Luke sighed and took a long sip of his beer. "Pleading the fifth," he finally said.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't feel like you had to do that with me," Ethan smiled gratefully. "I love Rory a lot."

Luke turned to look at Ethan suspiciously. "And?" he prompted.

Ethan stared at the field as he admitted, "I want to marry her." He chanced a glance at Luke, who was looking at him in shock. "What, um…what do you think about that?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Luke muttered, "I think you need to talk to Lorelai."

"I already did," Ethan said. "She said it's Rory's choice, and she just wants Rory to be happy. She said she sees elements of your marriage in my relationship."

Luke's jaw clenched as he focused on the game in progress and refused to meet the younger man's eye. He'd noticed the similarities between the two relationships as well, but he didn't want to admit it just yet. "Well, there you go," he said.

"I'm not asking about Lorelai right now, I'm asking about you," Ethan said. Luke was struck by his boldness, but he had to admit that it was a good thing the kid could be forward. He did still have to win over the Gilmores. When Luke didn't respond right away, Ethan continued, "One time, Rory and I were watching some movie, I can't keep track of all those old movies she likes to watch, but at one point one of the guys went to one of the girls' dads to ask for her hand in marriage. That got Rory started on a nice long rant about feminism and dowries and how if anyone ever proposes to her, they shouldn't go anywhere near her dad, because he's barely been there for her."

"No argument there," Luke muttered.

"But she said she'd want him to go to Lorelai, not to ask for permission, but just to ask for acceptance," Ethan continued. "And she said she'd want your acceptance too, so that's what I'm asking for now. I know that she wants you to think of her as your daughter, so I'm treating her that way."

"She is my daughter, just as much as the other two," Luke said immediately.

"Okay, well, I'm not asking permission," Ethan said. "But I would like your acceptance. It's important to Rory."

"She's a special girl," Luke informed Ethan.

"I know that."

"To me, she's still ten years old, holding my hand while I teach her how to ice skate," Luke continued.

Ethan smiled slightly. Lorelai really did know him well. "I can imagine it's hard to let go," he said.

Luke sighed. "If you hurt her, I'll kill you," he said. "Not an 'embarrass everyone with a Bop It' kill you, but actually kill you."

"I won't hurt her, not if I can help it," Ethan promised.

"We can't always help it," Luke muttered. "Just don't hide anything from her. Include her in every part of your life, and don't shut her out."

"I won't," Ethan said.

Luke was quiet for a long moment. "Fine," he said.

Ethan raised his eyebrows in bewilderment. "Fine?" he asked. "That's it?"

"Like Lorelai said, it's Rory's choice," Luke shrugged. He turned back to the game for a minute before he shook his head and laughed slightly.

"What?" Ethan asked uncertainly.

"Just wondering which the Gilmores will think is worse," Luke said. "Owner of a rustic small town diner who drinks nitwit juice, or a Harvard democrat who also drinks nitwit juice."

Ethan sighed. "Mrs. Gilmore called pictures of my dad's carpenter shop quaint," he said. "And Mr. Gilmore tried to tell me how to allocate my retirement account."

"Sounds about right," Luke shrugged. "Can I offer you a piece of advice?"

"Please."

"If they have another fake wedding, stay far, far away."

XXXXX

"This is nice," Lorelai said later that night as she sipped her wine.

Luke stared at her uncertainly. "Are you sure it's okay to drink that?" he asked.

"Yep, I left plenty of bottles with Rory," Lorelai confirmed. "By the time Victoria nurses again it'll be well out of my system."

"If you're sure…"

"I'll take it easy with the alcohol," Lorelai promised. "No tequila shots until she's completely weaned."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Last thing you need is tequila," he said.

"Hey, it was tequila that got us our kid," Lorelai defended.

"How do you figure that?" Luke asked.

"Because on my birthday I had just enough tequila to the point where I was adorably tipsy, and you couldn't wait to get me upstairs," Lorelai said. "The extra time we'd have taken actually getting to the bed would have meant no Victoria."

"Whatever you say," Luke shrugged.

Lorelai smiled as the waiter placed a basket of bread on the table in between them, reaching for a piece and dipping it in the plate of olive oil. She took a piece and chewed it thoughtfully, then swallowed and asked, "So how was the game?"

"Good," Luke shrugged. "We won."

"Uh huh, great," Lorelai nodded. "And Ethan, was he good company?"

"Sure," Luke said. He knew exactly what she wanted to hear, but couldn't resist getting her a little riled up. Her first sips of alcohol in nearly a year were causing her cheeks to flush, and he loved how adorable she got when she worked her way into a good rant.

Lorelai eyed him as she took another sip of wine. He met her gaze evenly, and she could see his eyes challenging her to bring the topic up first. "Did he…ask you anything?"

Luke let out a long breath and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, actually," he said.

"Oh, really?" Lorelai feigned ignorance. "What was that?"

"He was pretty interested in whether Alex Rodriguez would be traded to the Orioles, but I told him it's not going to happen."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Duh, everyone knows that," she muttered sarcastically.

Luke laughed and uncrossed his arms, leaning back towards her. He stilled her hand, which was fiddling with her silverware, and met her gaze evenly. "He talked to me about Rory," he admitted.

Lorelai turned her hand over so that she could hold his, trailing her thumb over his wedding ring. "He's still alive, right?" she asked. "The jeep isn't going to smell funny tomorrow? There won't be a shovel and some extra rope in the trunk?"

"Nah, it's too new for hauling bodies," Luke said with a smirk.

"So what did you say?"

"I said he should talk to you, and when he told me he already did, I said that he should make Rory happy," Luke replied. "That he shouldn't shut her out or compartmentalize his life when it comes to the big things."

"Good advice," Lorelai complimented. She fell silent and looked down at their hands, her mind racing with possibilities.

"How are you feeling?" Luke asked.

"A little bit of everything," Lorelai admitted. "Happy she's happy. Sad she's so far away. Nervous that she got some of my relationship handicaps. Depressed that my baby is old enough to make me a mother in law."

Luke shook his head slightly. "We finally get used to having a baby, now we're going to have a son in law," he said. "You think she'll say yes?"

Lorelai nodded. "She's happier than I've ever seen her with a boy," she said.

"What about that Logan kid?" Luke asked.

"I think she loved him," Lorelai admitted. "He was her…one before the one."

"I like Ethan better than him," Luke said.

"Me too," Lorelai nodded. "I think Rory needed Logan to learn about who she is, but he…was from my parents' world. He was a lot like Christopher."

Luke tensed. "That explains a lot," he said.

"Sorry," Lorelai muttered. She was quiet for a moment before she met Luke's gaze and admitted, "He's you."

"What?" Luke asked.

"Ethan," Lorelai replied. "If Logan was Rory's Christopher, Ethan's her Luke."

He smiled affectionately at her. "Hopefully they won't take eleven years to get it figured out," he said.

"Well, they're where we were after about nine years, so I think they're okay," Lorelai replied. "Rory's always had a better understanding of the world than I do."

"She's had a different perspective," Luke countered. "If you gave Rory a nine year old girl to take care of like you had to at her age, she'd probably be completely overwhelmed."

"True," Lorelai nodded. "So we're on the same page? We like Ethan, but we'll always be Team Rory?"

"Confirmed," Luke held up his beer and she tapped her wine glass against it.

Lorelai smiled at him softly. "This is only the second night we've had out since Victoria was born," she noted.

"She's only eleven weeks old," Luke said. "She needs you."

"I know, and I love being her mom," Lorelai said. "But this is nice. Being able to go out and still be us."

"We've been doing a pretty good job balancing everything out," Luke agreed.

"How are things back at the diner?" Lorelai asked. "I don't mean the everyday, 'work was fine,' routine you've perfected. How are things really going, with the managers you hired?"

"It's doing really well," Luke confirmed. "It's nice to know that I can leave and trust that my business isn't going to completely tank."

"That's a plus," Lorelai said. "I know you just took time off when Victoria was born, but do you think we'll make it to Maine this summer?"

Luke raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I hadn't really thought about it," he said honestly. "Can you get away from work?"

"Not the whole summer," Lorelai said. "I can't leave the inn for that long, but it might be nice for a week. April will be in New Mexico and Rory will be here, but we can bring Victoria up there and relax, just the three of us."

"That sounds nice," Luke admitted. "I'll check with Liz, see when she and TJ were planning on being there. The last thing we need is to spend a week with their insanity."

"You love your sister," Lorelai challenged him.

"Yes, but that idiot husband of hers is more than I can handle," Luke sighed.

"Good point," Lorelai nodded.

Their dinners arrived, and Lorelai's eyes lit up at the plate of chicken parmesan that appeared in front of her. "Mm, you should consider making this at the diner," she suggested.

Luke looked up from his own plate of grilled salmon. "You want me to get rid of the burgers and pancakes?" he asked.

Lorelai gasped. "Do not even suggest such a travesty!" she exclaimed.

He shrugged as he took another bite. "Let me worry about the cooking," he requested.

"Okay, then I'll worry about housing the tourists," Lorelai agreed before she dug back into her meal.

An hour later, Lorelai shoved the last bite of chocolate cake into her mouth and sighed contentedly. "That was amazing," she replied.

Luke looked at her with an amused smile. "Clearly," he said. "Sometimes I wonder why I bother buying you fancy jewelry when I know large amounts of chocolate will have the same effect."

"Better safe than sorry," Lorelai replied. "Always go with both."

"I'll remember that."

"Although it will be hard to top last year's birthday gift," Lorelai acknowledged. She watched as the check was dropped off and Luke slid his credit card into the folder.

"We could try for number four."

"Bite your tongue, Lucas."

"I'm kidding," he promised.

"Good, because otherwise you won't get lucky tonight," Lorelai replied.

Luke regarded her carefully. "You want to stay here?" he asked.

"Let's call Rory and see how Victoria's doing before we decide," Lorelai suggested. "I hate to leave her, but…a night alone in a big fancy bed sounds awfully promising."

Luke nodded. As his credit card was returned to him, he quickly filled in the tip and then slid the card back into his wallet. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah, let me just run to the rest room," Lorelai requested.

"Okay, I'll call Rory and meet you in the lobby."

They parted ways, and as Lorelai reapplied her lipstick in the bathroom mirror, she felt a sense of anticipation wash over her. Years ago, she'd escaped into the restroom of Sniffy's tavern to do the same during her first date with Luke. Although they'd already spent a stolen weekend learning each other's bodies during that long summer, she'd known that it was going to be different when Luke took her home after their date. It was the true beginning of their relationship, and Luke hadn't disappointed; she could still remember the passion they'd shared as they'd made love in his brand new queen size bed, bought especially for her.

Now Lorelai was feeling the same sense of eagerness sweep over her. They'd only had sex twice since she'd given birth, and the second time had been a lazy, half asleep motion after soothing Victoria back to sleep in the middle of the night. If they were to stay here tonight, which she desperately wanted to do, she knew that they'd be able to take their time, to reacquaint each other with the intimate part of their marriage, without listening for any noise from the baby monitor. Victoria was in good hands with her big sister, and Lorelai was glad she'd bought a new set of lacy teal underwear and put it on under her dress for Luke's viewing pleasure, just in case.

"…both appreciate it," Luke was saying into his cell phone when Lorelai approached him in the lobby a few moments later. "Okay, here's your mom, she just walked over. Thanks again for taking care of your sister, kid."

Lorelai took the phone and smiled at him as she addressed Rory through the phone line. "How are my girls?" she asked.

"We're good," Rory replied. "Victoria and I watched An Affair to Remember, and then I read The Giving Tree to her. We gave her a bottle and put her down about half an hour ago. She's sound asleep."

"Has she been fussy?" Lorelai asked.

"Nope, she's been perfect," Rory replied. "Although I'm still convinced she rolled her eyes when Ethan tried to turn on a basketball game."

"Good, the last thing she needs is someone else convincing her sports are interesting," Lorelai replied.

"How was dinner?"

"Delicious," Lorelai said. "I had a pretty boy to look at too."

"I am _not_ a pretty boy," Luke said, loud enough to cause Rory to giggle over the other end of the line.

Lorelai bit her lower lip and raised her eyebrows at him, and he swallowed hard as he shifted his weight to his heels and crossed his arms over his chest. "So…do you think you can handle her for awhile?" she asked. "Like overnight, if the offer still stands?"

"Still stands," Rory said. "Have fun. Just don't share anything about the kind of fun that has been had, or I'm keeping Victoria."

"Fine," Lorelai said. "I'll keep my phone on. If you need us, call. We'll be back early tomorrow."

"Night, Mom."

"Night sweets, I love you."

Lorelai snapped the phone closed and handed it back to Luke, her eyes searching his carefully. "Victoria's sound asleep," she reported. She stepped closer, and rested her hand on his chest. "Would it be too forward of me to suggest spending the night together at this point in our relationship?"

He laughed and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "I'd never say no to that," he murmured, his voice low with desire.

"Good," Lorelai said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Otherwise this brand new lacy underwear would go to waste."

Luke's eyes widened as he watched her saunter to the check in desk, and he caught up to her before she reached it. "What's this about new underwear?" he asked, brushing his nose against her hair.

"You'll find out," she said as she backed away and offered him a dazzling smile before she turned to the desk.

XXXXX

"She's fine, Luke, she's still asleep," Rory said, impatience lacing her voice early the next morning.

"Are you sure she only woke up once?" Luke pressed.

"Yes," Rory replied. "She cried for a few minutes while I got her bottle ready, and then she drank the entire thing and fell back to sleep. Ethan just checked on her, she's sleeping soundly. When she wakes up, we'll change her and make sure she has a bottle before I dress her in one of the fabulous outfits I bought her yesterday."

"Okay," Luke sighed. He could hear the shower turn on in the bathroom, and he ran a hand over his face. "Your mom's just getting in the shower. Then she has to pick out an outfit, do her hair and make up, change her outfit, put on shoes, debate whether she should change her outfit again, and then find some coffee before we get on the road."

"I'll see you in the early evening hours," Rory confirmed, familiar with Lorelai's inability to get herself prepared for the day in a timely manner.

"Bye, kid, thanks again," Luke said.

"Bye, Daddy Luke."

Luke snapped the phone closed and then hooked it into his charger, hoping to maintain the battery for the drive back to Stars Hollow that evening. He then took stock of the hotel room, shaking his head slightly at the trail of clothing that led from the door of the room to the bed. He stepped over his boxers and Lorelai's bra to head for the bathroom, tapping his knuckles against the frosted glass door gently.

"Got room in there for company?"

She slid the door open and poked her head out. "Only if you're willing to work for it," she replied.

Luke gently pushed at her shoulder, stepping into the shower before he slid the door closed. He let his eyes rake over her wet body, and he let out a low groan. "Oh, I'll work for it," he promised.

"Good," she said, shoving the small shampoo bottle into his hands and stepping into the shower stream. "Go for it."

With a smirk, Luke squeezed some of the shampoo into his hand and rubbed his palms together before he gently began to work it into Lorelai's hair. She let out a sigh at the feeling, then murmured, "I love when you do this."

Luke responded by turning her so she faced away from him and stepping closer so his body was pressed against hers. He let his fingers gently massage the shampoo into a lather over her scalp before he worked his way down to comb through her long locks. "I love your hair," he whispered softly.

Lorelai turned to tip her head into the water stream, and Luke watched in fascination as the suds ran down her body. He'd never admit it to her, but he didn't exactly mind that her body was still different than it had been before she'd gotten pregnant. Her hips were fuller and her stomach was still slightly swollen, and her breasts were still at least a cup size bigger than they had been pre-pregnancy. But the extra weight only added curves in all the right places, and Luke felt his arousal become evident as he remembered becoming very familiar with those new curves the night before.

"Slow down, Cool Hand, I've still got to condition," Lorelai said, her eyes focused on one thing only.

"Can't help it," he sighed, stepping closer and kissing her deeply. "You're beautiful," he added when they pulled apart.

Lorelai ran her hands over his shoulders and kissed him again. Her tongue danced over his lips and he eagerly allowed her access, the two of them gently running their hands over each other's bodies in the steam of the shower.

"God, Luke," she murmured when they broke apart. She cupped his face in her hands and ran her hands over his cheeks. "Last night was incredible."

"It was," he agreed, shaking his head slightly. He flashed back to the two of them stumbling towards the bed in a tangle of limbs, fighting for power of the situation. Lorelai had ultimately won, and had been perfect and beautiful and incredibly vocal as she'd moved above him. "I'll never be bored with you, that's for sure."

She giggled and kissed him quickly. "I do keep you on your toes, don't I?" she asked.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," he replied. He felt her reach between them to stroke his hardness and leaned his head back slightly, enjoying the sensation of her nimble fingers working him up to his full size.

"There we go," Lorelai purred, her fingers moving to rake over each of his thighs. "Nice and ready for me."

Luke's eyes darkened when she maneuvered around him and then bit her lip, running her fingers gently over her stomach and dipping slightly lower. "What about you?" he asked, his eyes focused on her fingers. "You ready for me?"

"Oh, yes," Lorelai said, her head falling back as she gently ran her fingers between her thighs. "I'm always ready for you."

With a grunt of approval, Luke stepped forward and replaced her hand with his own. "What do you want?" he asked, his eyes filled with desire but his voice gentle.

Lorelai wrapped her arms tightly around him and lifted one leg to wrap around his waist. "I want you, Luke," she whispered.

"You've got me."

"Luke," she gasped. "Please…"

Unable to resist a little teasing, Luke ran his hand over the thigh that was hooked around his waist and whispered, "Please what?"

"Please," Lorelai gasped, reaching between them to stroke his hardness. "I _need_ this inside me. Please, Luke."

Without a word, Luke pressed his lips to hers in a deep kiss, lifting her other leg to wrap around his waist. She gasped into the kiss when he pressed her against the tiles of the shower, the coolness of the marble contrasting sharply to the heat radiating off of Luke's body. When they broke apart, Lorelai reached between them to guide him to her wet folds. "Lorelai…" her name left his lips breathlessly, reverently, as he guided her hips down, their bodies coming together with a spark of electricity. Lorelai let out a pleasured gasp as she leaned her head forward, pressing her lips to Luke's shoulder.

He remained still for a moment, savoring the sensation of being surrounded by Lorelai's warmth, the steady stream of water creating a hot steam around them. After a moment, Lorelai lifted her head and ran her hands over his hair, her eyes meeting his. They were a stormy blue the way they always were when she was aroused, and he slowly began to rock his hips against hers. Her body responded immediately, causing him to close his eyes in pleasure.

"Oh yes," she gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders as she enjoyed the sensation of his length gliding in and out of her.

Not wanting to push the limits, Luke had to force himself not to move to fast. The manly, animalistic part of him wanted nothing more than to shed all inhibitions and let instinct take over, but the husband in him prevailed. Lorelai had been an enthusiastic lover the night before, but they'd taken things slow. He wasn't sure if she was ready to take things to their usual, more passionate, level yet.

"Luke," she gasped, tightening her thighs around him and keeping him buried deep inside of her. She cupped his face in her hands and searched his eyes with her own, and he suddenly felt self conscious. With her looking at him so intently, it was as though she could see into his innermost thoughts. "I'm okay."

"I don't want to hurt you," he admitted.

She smiled gratefully, and ran her thumb over his lower lip. "Do I look like I'm in pain to you?" she asked.

"No, but…we've taken it easy the past couple times," he replied.

"Which was necessary and appreciated," Lorelai acknowledged. "I know I don't _look_ like pre-baby Lorelai, but I'm okay. It's been three months, I'm all healed."

Luke rested his forehead against hers. "Tell me," he requested. "If you're in pain."

A sly smirk came across Lorelai's face. "Like I could ever be in pain when we're doing this," she said. "Please, Luke, don't treat me like I'm fragile. I don't want this part of our relationship to change."

"Okay," he said, swallowing hard.

"Okay," Lorelai said with a smile. "Get back to work."

As she loosened her legs around him, Luke pulled out of her and began thrusting again, this time with more power. Lorelai's face immediately morphed from concern to pleasure, and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Oh yes, Luke, please, Luke…"

Her words encouraged him, and he increased his speed, moving inside of her with shorter, faster thrusts. Lorelai pushed her hips forward against his, and he thrust deeper into her as she reached out the brace herself against the built in towel rack. "Lorelai…" he groaned her name in appreciation as she began to thrust against him, their hips crashing together in a dance they'd long since perfected.

She let out a soft cry of pleasure as Luke reached between them to stroke her gently. He could feel himself approaching the edge, and was determined to take Lorelai with him. With a smirk, he shifted his hips slightly, knowing that the position would hit her most sensitive spot and cause her to become undone.

"Luke!" she cried his name as her hips rocked forcefully against his. "Oh my god, yes…don't stop, please don't stop!"

Her begging fueled Luke on, and he gripped her hips as he continued to push into her. She began to tighten around him, causing him to release his own moan of appreciation as he began to release into her. "Lorelai…"

"Oh…oh…oh my god, yes!" Lorelai's screams of pleasure faded into low moans as she came down from her high, slowly dropping her legs to the shower floor but remaining pressed against Luke. "God, I love you."

"I love you too," he smiled, pulling back from her and reaching for a washcloth, lathering it with soap.

"You are _so_ good at that," Lorelai informed him, her eyes still clouded with pleasure as she watched him begin to wash himself.

"Glad I can keep you satisfied."

"Oh, I'm very satisfied," Lorelai said. "I don't see that changing."

Luke offered her a knowing smirk. "Me neither," he said.

Lorelai reached for the washcloth and began running it over his chest, watching as the soap gathered in his fine hair. "You should consider wearing less flannel," she told him. "It's a shame to keep this beautiful body covered up."

"I am not beautiful."

"Sorry, I forgot," Lorelai giggled. "I mean, it's a shame to keep this handsome, chiseled, well sculpted, very manly body covered up." She looked up at him with a sparkle in her eyes. "How was that?"

"Much better," Luke nodded.

"Good." Lorelai smiled. She ran the washcloth over his stomach, concentrating on the task as she did so. Luke watched with amusement, loving the way she bit her lower lip as she focused. She did the same thing when she read one of Rory's articles or did paperwork for the inn, and he loved how adorable that habit of hers was. "Why do you do it?"

"Hmm?" he asked, shaken from his reverie. "Do what?"

"Wear all that flannel?" Lorelai asked. "I mean, during the winter I get it, but in the summer you must get so hot. Before we started dating, I could probably have counted on one hand the number of times I saw you in anything else."

"I don't know, I just…didn't have to think about what to wear," Luke shrugged. "They're comfortable."

"I'm not trying to tell you how to dress or anything," Lorelai said. "Although if you ever want tips, I'm your girl."

"Yes, you are."

She giggled, but shook her head. "You know, all those years that I mocked you for the flannel, I really just wanted you to show yourself off a little more. That first time I saw you swimming at the lake, the summer after we met, I definitely ogled a little."

"I noticed."

"This…" Lorelai ran her fingers over his tattoo. "Was especially surprising."

"Really?" Luke asked with raised eyebrows. "Why?"

"It just didn't seem like you," she said. "I would have thought that you'd have had a rant about needles and permanently marking your body and…I don't know."

"I was eighteen, a bunch of us had one two many beers," Luke shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

"I always wanted one," Lorelai admitted.

"You did?"

"Yeah, before Rory," Lorelai nodded. "It was one of those things I could use to look forward to doing before getting out of that house. I'd tell myself that on my eighteenth birthday, I'd get a tattoo just to spite my mother. Instead, Mia brought me and Rory to Mystic and we gave Rory her first ice cream cone."

"Probably a much better memory," Luke nodded. "What kind of tattoo do you think would you have gotten?"

"Well, at the time I wanted David Bowie's face tattooed on my thigh, but I'm glad that didn't work out."

Luke winced. "Me too," he said. "I'm glad you never got one."

"Hypocritical, much?" Lorelai pressed a kiss to one of the arrows of his tattoo.

"Not because I don't believe in them, but because…your body's perfect the way it is," Luke replied.

"You know you already got lucky last night and this morning," Lorelai smiled. "You don't have to keep complimenting me. Especially when I still have a million baby pounds to lose."

"Beautiful," Luke insisted. He noticed the temperature of the water had dropped, and he flicked the faucet off. "Here."

Lorelai took the towel he was offering her and dried the excess water off of herself before she wrapped it around her body, tucking it inside itself. She sighed as she watched Luke tie his own towel loosely around his waist. "It's a shame to cover that up too."

He glared at her as they stepped out of the shower stall. "Don't start."

"Don't get me wrong, I don't want anyone else to see it," she explained. "It's all mine."

"Uh huh."

"And I should get an Academy Award for the straight face I have to put on every time Patty and Babette ask me about it," Lorelai continued nonchalantly.

"What?" Luke turned to look at her with wide eyes.

"I don't tell them anything!" Lorelai defended.

"Good."

Lorelai sighed as she reached for her hairbrush. "We have to go soon," she said.

"I talked to Rory, she said Victoria's fine," Luke said. "Only woke up once last night, went right back to sleep after Rory fed her."

"Good," Lorelai nodded. She made a face and said, "I left my pump at their apartment, so we kind of have to hurry."

Luke's eyes widened slightly. "You need to…"

"Yeah, but I can wait a bit," Lorelai said. "It's just uncomfortable."

"Just get dressed," Luke suggested. "You can spend two hours primping at Rory's."

Lorelai frowned. "You know, you always complain that I take too long to get ready, but you never seem to complain with the results," she pointed out.

"You don't need all that make up and crap," Luke shrugged. "You're always pretty."

"Why, Butch, that's the most romantic thing you've ever said to me!"

"Jeez," Luke muttered, walking out of the bathroom.

Lorelai laughed as she followed him. "Don't try to be all macho, I know you're really a sap," she said.

He sighed as he pulled on his boxers, then reached for his pants. "And I know you're really a lot of work," he retorted.

"You didn't seem to mind all that work about ten minutes ago," Lorelai reminded him. "In fact, you seemed to enjoy it."

With a smirk, he tossed her bra towards her. "Different kind of work," he explained.

"There are different kinds?" Lorelai asked, snapping her bra on.

"Yup." Luke pulled his t-shirt over his head and then reached for his flannel. With a smirk, he tossed it on the bed and said, "Honoring your request."

"Wow, I'm honored," Lorelai smiled. "What kinds of work are there?"

"Well, there's the cooking for you," Luke replied.

"Your job."

"Fixing all the stuff you break in the house."

"One of your many talents that should not go to waste."

"Helping you raise our kids."

"You signed up for that."

"Making sure other men know that you're married."

Lorelai wriggled the fingers of her left hand in his face. "Hello, that's what the rings are for."

"Never being able to find a shirt to wear because you steal them."

"You love when I wear your shirts and nothing else."

"Listening to you complain about your mother."

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "Okay, that one I don't have an excuse for," she said.

Luke smiled as he stepped closer and ran his fingers over the top edge of her bra. "You're a lot of work, but I wouldn't want it any other way," he admitted.

She beamed up at him. "Yeah?" he asked.

"Yeah," he said before he leaned down and kissed her. "You keep life interesting."

"It's what I do best," Lorelai nodded. She frowned and gently pushed his hand away. "Sorry, they still belong to your daughter."

Luke nodded and quickly stepped back, watching as Lorelai slid her dress back over her head. He reached for his shoes and began to tie them, looking at Lorelai out of the corner of his eye.

"We need to think about getting her on solid food," Lorelai admitted quietly.

"Already?"

"She's three months old," Lorelai said. "It's not going to happen tomorrow, but we should keep it in mind that she should start in the next month or two."

"She doesn't have any teeth."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "I mean baby food, Luke," she said. "Not peanuts or Red Vines until she gets her first tooth."

"Oh." Luke said, a sheepish expression coming over his face. "You're ready to start weaning her?"

"I don't know," Lorelai said honestly. "It's all so different than it was with Rory. But we could at least try the baby food, see how she reacts."

"Okay," Luke said. "Sookie actually gave me some recipes for homemade baby food she used when her kids were little."

Lorelai raised her eyebrows at him in surprise. "When have you and Sookie been talking?" she asked.

"Well, she came into the diner last week and was asking about Victoria," Luke explained. "I told her how quickly she's growing. She said the same thing, and then told me that she had the recipes. Jackson brought them in the next day."

"Huh," Lorelai said. "Homemade baby food."

"Is that okay?" Luke asked.

She shrugged as she reached for her purse. "Of course," she said. "I just never considered that."

"That's because before we got together, you didn't consider using your oven for anything other than toasting your socks," Luke rolled his eyes.

She laughed. "You've taught me many things, Luke Danes," she said. "Including how to use an oven for its given purpose."

He reached to open the door and then followed her into the hallway. "Been my pleasure."

XXXXX

"And that's the library," Rory said later that afternoon as she walked Luke and Lorelai through Harvard's campus. "Sometimes I go in there on my lunch break just to be near the books."

Lorelai smiled softly, then leaned into the stroller that Luke was pushing. "I hope you're listening to your big sister," she said to Victoria. "Take notes."

"This is my building," Rory announced, pointing to a red brick building that looked exactly like every other building on campus. "The student newspaper and law review magazine are also housed here."

"Okay, question," Lorelai asked. "How do you tell this building apart from all the others?"

"I had lots of practice walking into the wrong building my first year at Yale," Rory replied. "I got accustomed to learning that each building has its own distinguishing features."

Lorelai nodded understandingly. "So you're an ivy league expert now," she deduced.

"Exactly," Rory replied with a nod. She looked around the campus and inhaled deeply, a wide smile coming across her lips. "I really do love it here. You were right, Harvard is the right place for me. I just needed that pit stop at Yale first."

"Not a bad place to detour through," Luke admitted. "This is great, Rory."

"Thanks," she said.

"Hey, I want to see your office!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"I don't have an office, I have a desk," Rory said. "Nothing special."

"It's _your_ desk, it's very special," Lorelai insisted. "Come on, let us in!"

Before Rory could respond, the front door of the building opened, and a blonde a couple years older than Rory walked out. "Hey, Rory, why brings you by on a Sunday?" she asked.

"Just giving a tour," Rory said, gesturing to Luke and Lorelai beside her.

"Are these your parents?"

"Yup," Rory gave a nod of confirmation. "And my sister."

"Hi, I'm Rory's editor, Sophie," she said, stepping forward to shake both Lorelai and Luke's hands. "We're so glad to have her on board."

Lorelai smiled warmly. "We're pretty proud," she said.

"You should be," Sophie said. "Rory's been a great addition to the team."

Rory blushed and shoved her hands into her pockets. "I'm getting there," she admitted. "There's a lot to learn."

Sophie leaned over the stroller and smiled at Victoria. "She's adorable too. Looks just like the pictures Rory's been showing off for months now."

"Aw, look who's a proud big sister!" Lorelai exclaimed wrapping an arm around Rory's shoulders.

Sophie straightened and turned to Rory. "I left your latest review on your desk," she said. "It's good, but there are some changes to be made before it goes to publication."

"I'll look at it first thing in the morning," Rory promised.

"Thanks," Sophia said. "It was great meeting you both."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Lorelai to beam at Rory. "Wow, two months in and you've already got your editor eating out of the palm of your hand," she said with an impressed nod. "By the time you're thirty, you'll be editor in chief of the Boston Globe."

Rory rolled her eyes. "Doubtful," she commented.

"You're becoming too much like McGrump over here," Lorelai frowned. "Think positive thoughts."

With an exasperated sigh, Rory turned to Luke. "I like to think we're realistic," she stated.

"Exactly," he said, bumping her shoulder with his fist and turning to Lorelai. "We can't all live in a world of delusion."

Lorelai gasped. "I brought _you_ into the world and gave _you_ a kid, and now you're teaming up against me?" she asked. "Where's the righteousness?"

Rory rested a dramatic hand on Luke's shoulder. "We're the only ones who know what it's like to live in close quarters to you for extended periods of time," she stated. "We've formed a lifelong bond."

With a nod towards Rory, Luke added, "She's given me advice."

"Give me my kid," Lorelai said, maneuvering the stroller away from Luke. "You're my favorite right now, baby girl."

"We're just kidding, Mom," Rory said with a laugh. "Or…well, laughing with you."

"Yeah, yeah, you like Luke more than me, I get it," Lorelai sighed. "So much for solidarity."

"Well, he makes the coffee."

"Good point, he's my favorite too," Lorelai said with a smile. Nudging Rory, she muttered, "Let's try to work him up to fifteen shades of embarrassed."

Without a beat, Rory replied, "Next stop is the school of medicine, where we can see how attractive we are to the opposite gender in mathematical terms."

"Oh, let's do that!" Lorelai cried, tapping Luke on the arm. "We'll totally be at the top of both lists!"

Luke sighed and trudged behind Lorelai and Rory, feigning a scowl. The idea sounded completely unappealing to him, but he knew that all three of the girls in front of him had him entirely wrapped around their fingers; he didn't stand a chance in hell of saying no.


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, so this is the first chapter post-A Year In the Life. It was written _before_ I watched, and I've finally been able to stop rewatching long enough to edit and post. Although I will never reach the perfection of Amy and Dan's writing, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter anyway!**

"Luke, I have a suggestion," Kirk called from his spot at the counter.

Luke didn't bother looking up from his supply ledger. "I'm not hiring you, Kirk," he said.

"I think you'll find my resume quite impressive," Kirk continued, as if Luke hadn't spoken. "I've cooked for Mother for the past thirty five years."

"Still not hiring you, Kirk."

"One of my many jobs in town was waiting tables at Weston's," Kirk stated. "Although I was let go because I spilled coffee on Taylor, it was an educational experience."

"Not hiring you, Kirk."

As Kirk was opening his mouth to counter Luke's statement, Lorelai's voice rang through the empty diner. "Well, if it isn't the most handsome diner man in the state of Connecticut!"

Luke looked up from his paperwork and automatically walked around the counter to lean over the stroller Lorelai was pushing. He lifted Victoria into his arms and smiled as she curled into him. "It's about time someone sane walked in," he grumbled.

"Hi, remember me?" Lorelai asked. "Where's my kiss?"

He leaned in to kiss her quickly, then rubbed a hand over Victoria's back. "Did she eat?" he asked.

"Yup, she's good to go," Lorelai replied. She looked around the diner and frowned. "Wow, did you lose all your customers now that you're not grumpy anymore?"

"Pre-dinner lull," Luke explained. "You want a burger before you go to work?"

"No, I'm already running late," Lorelai said. "Want me to bring her upstairs?"

Kirk, who had been listening intently to the conversation, raised his hand.

"You don't have to raise your hand, Kirk," Lorelai informed him.

"Sorry, I'm just used to having to ask for permission before addressing Mother," Kirk said. "Lulu thinks it's unusual, but I've never known anything different."

His patience wearing thin, Luke snapped, "What do you want, Kirk?"

"I'd like to offer my services to care for your daughter, Victoria," Kirk requested. "As you may recall from my resume, I have had several jobs that include child care-"

"No."

"I am willing to work an overnight shift."

"No, Kirk."

"And when you and Lorelai are both at work, I could offer Victoria an educational and entertaining setting-"

"We've got it under control, Kirk," Lorelai interrupted.

"Fine," Kirk sighed, slouching back onto his stool. "It's just as well, seeing as I remain unable to change a diaper without gagging."

Lorelai rolled her eyes and turned to Luke. "Let me know when you get home," she requested.

"I will," he promised. "I just have to get through the initial rush, then I'll bring her home."

"Okay," Lorelai nodded. She leaned in closer and kissed Victoria's cheek. "Bye, sweet girl, Mom's going to work. Daddy will bring you upstairs soon so you're not scared by all the people."

Luke sighed as he met her eyes. "It's been a long time since you worked the evening shift," he said. "You'll be okay?"

"I'm fine, Luke," she promised. "Tobin's supposed to be in by ten."

"I'll leave you a snack in the kitchen for when you get home," he said.

"You're too good to me," Lorelai sighed, cupping his cheeks in her hands and pulling him in for a kiss. "Bye."

He kissed her again, then pulled back. "Bye."

She offered them one last smile before she walked out the door, the bell echoing in the rare quietness of the diner.

"Luke, I-"

"Not hiring you for anything, Kirk," Luke said, reaching for Victoria's blanket from her stroller. "Let's get you settled upstairs."

After he called to Caesar that he was heading upstairs, Luke carried Victoria up to his former apartment. Similar to how Lorelai had transformed her office into a makeshift nursery, Luke had set up a playpen and baby monitor in his old apartment. When he was watching her, he'd taken to completing his paperwork at the table and using the space for its original purpose, enjoying the company of his daughter as he worked.

"You're getting tired, aren't you?" Luke sighed as he sat down on the couch. He held Victoria on his lap, looking at her carefully as she blinked up at him with her wide blue eyes. "How about a quick nap while I work, then we can go home? It's just you and me tonight, since Mom's at work and April's at Christine's house."

Victoria sighed and stretched her arms over her head, causing Luke to shake his head slightly. "Your mom's right, it's way harder for me to be grumpy when you're around." He stood and walked to the playpen, lowering her onto the soft cushions. He covered her with her pink and green blanket, then moved her stuffed lion to rest near her head. "I'll be right downstairs, I'll come up to check on you soon," he promised. After he watched her breathing even out, he flicked on the baby monitor and reached for its counterpart, clipping it to his belt before he quietly slipped out of the apartment.

Two hours later, after he'd made sure that his staff was prepared for the dinner rush and gotten them through the first wave of customers, he returned to the apartment and began preparations to go home. He closed out his paperwork for the day quickly, then turned to Victoria, who was playing with her lion.

"Ready to go home, Victoria?" Luke murmured as he made his way over to her playpen. "Let's change your diaper first."

After a quick diaper change and bundling Victoria into her spring jacket, Luke carried her downstairs and strapped her into her stroller, which he'd stashed in the storage room. He went out the back, not wanting to be stopped by his staff or take the chance that Babette or Patty would be ready to grab Victoria out of her stroller.

The walk home was pleasant in the late spring sunshine, and Luke found himself actually taking his time as he pushed the stroller through the town square. Victoria was growing more every day, and she was taking in more of the world around her. Luke could hear her sigh and coo slightly as she observed the birds flying and the leaves stirring in the warm breeze.

"Did you enjoy the walk?" he murmured when they arrived at their house. He maneuvered the stroller onto the porch and scooped her into his arms before he unlocked the house and carried her to the living room. "We even have some time to catch the Red Sox game before you have to go to bed."

He sat down on the couch and reached for the remote, rolling his eyes when he saw the screen come to life with one of Lorelai's Lifetime movies. "Don't ever watch this stuff," he said to Victoria. "No matter what your mom tells you."

After switching to the pregame commentary, Luke stretched out on the couch and settled Victoria against his chest, a pose he'd come to love over the past four months. It was hard to believe that Victoria was already four months old. A year ago, he and Lorelai had still been trying to conceive a baby, unaware that she was already pregnant. Now he cherished these quiet moments with his daughter. He hoped that someday he'd be able to take her to a baseball game and watch her actually experience it, not obsess over the food as Lorelai and Rory had or bury her face in a book as April had.

"It'll be our thing," he muttered, rubbing a hand over Victoria's back.

The front door opening caught his attention, and he immediately sat up, looking at the clock with a frown. "Lorelai?" he called as he leaned down to set Victoria in her bassinet. "I didn't think you'd be home…" His voice trailed off when he saw Rory, framed in the living room doorway, her arms crossed protectively over her chest. "Rory, hey. Did we know you were coming home?"

She shook her head but didn't speak, and he noticed that she was blinking back tears.

"What's wrong?" he asked, stepping closer. He reached out to rest his hand on her shoulder, trying to fight off the image of her, twelve years earlier, sobbing into Lorelai's shoulder because she'd stepped on a caterpillar.

Without a word, Rory stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him. She rested her head on his shoulder and let herself go, her tears eventually soaking through his flannel. Luke, pushing aside his fear and concern, slowly brought his arms around her and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Mom's not home?" Rory asked after her tears had subsided a few minutes later. She hadn't moved from her position, and Luke squeezed her shoulder gently.

"She's working the evening shift," he said. "I can call her, if you want."

Rory stepped back and wiped at her eyes, then met his gaze evenly. "Ethan asked me to marry him," she blurted out.

Luke blinked in surprise, not sure exactly how to handle this. Although he'd reluctantly told Ethan that he was welcome as part of their family, he still didn't relish the idea of Rory starting a family of her own. But he'd watched the couple interact for months now, and even he had to admit that he couldn't have hoped for anyone better for Rory to settle down with.

"So…what did you say?" he asked what he hoped was a logical question.

Rory flopped onto the couch and buried her head in her hands. "Nothing," she muttered.

Again at a loss of what to say, Luke perched on the edge of the couch and asked, "Nothing?"

Shaking her head, Rory wiped away another tear and said, "We were walking through campus and I was telling him about my article. He stopped and looked at me and just…said he wanted to marry me. At first I thought he was joking, but he was so serious, and I freaked out. I turned and ran, got in my car and drove here. I just needed to be home and see Mom, but she's not even here, and I'm probably distracting you from whatever you were doing, and I…oh god, I'm such an idiot."

"You're not an idiot," Luke said quickly. "And you're not distracting me from anything. Do you want me to call your mom?"

Rory sniffled. "I left my phone in Boston," she admitted quietly.

"I'll call her and get you some coffee," Luke said. "I know you're upset, but there's someone else you might want to say hello to."

Following his gesture to the bassinet, Rory wiped her eyes and stood. "Hey, baby sister," she whispered as she leaned closer to Victoria.

Luke tapped her shoulder with his fist. "You'd be surprised what holding her can do to calm you down," he admitted. "I'll be right back."

Walking out of the living room, Luke reached for the phone on the kitchen counter and dialed the Dragonfly. He tucked the phone against his shoulder and began making coffee as he waited for Lorelai to answer.

"Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai speaking."

"Hey, it's me," Luke said. He flipped the coffeemaker on and asked, "Is there anyone else there that can watch the front desk until Tobin gets in?"

"What's wrong?" Lorelai asked. "Is Victoria okay? There are some bottles in the fridge, or you can bring her here if she's hungry."

"Victoria's fine," Luke promised. "It's…Rory."

"Rory?" Lorelai's voice was just as concerned. "What's wrong with Rory?"

Glancing towards the living room, Luke lowered his voice and said, "She's here."

"What? Why?"

"Well…there was a lot of rambling, but I did gather that Ethan proposed," Luke frowned as he said the words. "It seems as though she panicked."

"Oh no," Lorelai said, and he could hear some rustling on the other end of the line. "Give me fifteen minutes."

"I can drive her over there," Luke said. "But with the car seat…"

"No, this is definitely a home conversation," Lorelai said. "I'll see if Kate can hostess and manage the front desk. I'm sure she won't mind, we don't have a lot of dinner reservations."

"Okay," Luke said.

"How does she seem?" Lorelai asked.

Luke sighed. "There were a lot of tears," he admitted.

"Aw, my poor girl," Lorelai sighed. "I'll be home as soon as possible."

"Thanks," Luke said.

"Tell her I love her."

"I will." Luke punched the phone off and then poured a cup of coffee before he returned to the living room. Rory was seated on the couch, looking down at Victoria, and offered Luke a tentative smile when she noticed him.

"She's gotten big, even since you guys were in Boston last month," she observed.

"Yeah, we're starting to notice a lot of milestones," Luke acknowledged. "She can lift her head up, and she's started babbling a little bit. No doubt a Gilmore trait."

Rory smiled and nodded towards the coffee. "That for me?" she asked.

He held the cup back, hoping to make her laugh. "Put down the baby first," he warned.

Rory rewarded him with a small giggle and stood. She pressed a kiss to Victoria's forehead and laid her back down in the bassinet. After she'd covered her with her blanket, she returned to the couch and held her hands out. "Gimme."

"Like mother like daughter," Luke grumbled as he handed the cup over.

"I _know_ you consider that a compliment," Rory replied.

He watched her sip the coffee for a moment, then turned to face her. "Your mom's on her way home," he said.

"Thanks," Rory murmured, lowering her coffee cup to rest against her knees. She didn't meet his eyes, and instead remained intently focused on a corner of the coffee table.

"You know, I was once on the receiving end of an unexpected proposal," Luke reminded her.

"Yeah, but you said yes," Rory replied.

Luke glanced towards the hall, then leaned back to Rory. "Can I trust you to keep a secret?"

Curious, Rory finally turned to face him, then nodded. "Of course."

With a sigh, Luke ran his hand over his face and said, "I wish I'd stopped to think. Not that I didn't love your mom or want to marry her, but…well, that was the night you moved in with your grandparents and she was so upset. She probably wasn't thinking clearly, and I should have been the logical one in that moment. I answered too fast."

Rory shook her head. "But you worked it out," she whispered. "You said what you wanted to say, and you got married."

"I don't need to remind you of everything that happened in between," Luke said. "I love your mom, Rory, I always have. But I can't help but wonder if we'd taken a couple days to think that time around, if we could have avoided all of our communication issues in the future."

Rory didn't respond, but the phone rang from where Luke had set it on the coffee table. "Hello?"

"Luke," Ethan's panicked voice came over the line. "It's Ethan. I…it's a long story, but is Rory there?"

"Yeah, she's here," Luke said, trying to keep his voice neutral. Rory's head whipped towards him, her eyes wide, and she shook her head slightly.

"Can I talk to her?"

Luke sighed. Everything in him wanted to tell Ethan that Rory was safe and would call him when she was ready, but he knew the choice had to be hers. Lowering the phone from his face, he said softly, "It's Ethan. Do you want to talk?"

Rory started to shake her head, but then asked in a quiet voice, "Should I?"

"I know if your mom and I had a fight and she ran off, I'd be pretty panicked until I heard her voice," Luke admitted. He didn't need to add how much he regretted the time he hadn't done that; Rory's face flashed with recognition and she reached for the phone.

"Hi," she murmured into the phone as she disappeared out of the living room. A moment later, Luke heard her footsteps on the stairs and he sighed as he leaned over the bassinet. "This is why you will never date."

"Rory!" Lorelai's concerned voice accompanied the front door slamming, and Luke hurried into the foyer. "Where is she?"

"She's upstairs, Ethan called," Luke replied.

"Okay, thanks, babe," Lorelai said, brushing her hand over his arm as she ran towards the stairs. "I'll let you know when we're ready for sustenance."

Luke sighed as he rested his hands on his hips, watching Lorelai's boots disappear up the stairs. A moment later he heard Rory's bedroom door open and then click closed. Knowing that mother and daughter needed a moment alone together, Luke turned back to the living room and scooped Victoria out of her bassinet.

"Let's make Mom and Rory some brownies," he suggested as he strapped her into her plastic chair attached to one of the stools at the island. "They always make your big sister feel better."

XXXXX

"Hey, sweet girl, I heard you pulled a surprise visit," Lorelai whispered as she closed Rory's bedroom door gently behind her.

Rory jumped off the bed and ran straight into Lorelai's arms, a fresh batch of tears filling her eyes. Lorelai pressed a series of kisses to her forehead, then ran a hand over Rory's back, letting her get her tears out before she tried to say anything else.

"I'm sorry you had to come home from work early," Rory finally whispered.

With a smile, Lorelai smoothed Rory's hair away from her face. "Never apologize for that, work is extremely over rated," she said. "Want to tell the mommy what happened?"

Rory sighed as she finally pulled back and wiped at her eyes. "I freaked out," she admitted.

Lorelai sighed as she sat down on the edge of the bed and looked up at Rory. "Unfortunately, I think that's something you got from me," she said. "I wish you hadn't."

"I didn't see it coming," Rory said, sitting down beside her. "I left work a little early because we went to publication this afternoon and there wasn't really much to do. Ethan met me for a late lunch, and we walked home through campus. We've done that lots of times before, so I was just rambling about god knows what, and he just looked at me and said he wanted to marry me. I didn't say anything, I just wanted to be home, so I got in my car. He just called and I told him I'm fine but I don't know when I'll be back."

"Oh, hon," Lorelai sighed. "Ethan loves you. You love him."

Rory nodded. "I know."

"So what caused the Speedy Gonzalez exit out of Boston?" Lorelai asked.

"I was so surprised," Rory whispered. "I didn't even know how to react. I can't get married!"

Lorelai tilted her head to the side. "Why not?" she asked.

"Because…" Rory's voice trailed off and she stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know."

"Okay, well, let's break it down," Lorelai said. She stood and disappeared from the room, then returned with a yellow pad and a pen. "Here."

Rory laughed and wiped her eyes. "A pro/con list?" she asked.

"They've always been there for you," Lorelai said. She drew a line down the center of the paper and said, "Okay, say you get married. Start with pros."

"He loves me," Rory whispered. "I love him. He took a snow walk with me last year. He gave up Thanksgiving with his dad so I could have Thanksgiving with him in Stars Hollow. He makes me cookies when I've had a bad day…."

Ten minutes later, Lorelai looked up from her scribbles. "My hand's starting to cramp," she admitted.

Rory blushed as she looked at the two papers, front and back, that listed the pros of her marrying Ethan. "We still have more to do," she whispered.

"Okay," Lorelai sighed, flipping back to the first page. "Cons. I'll be one step closer to being a grandmother."

"I've been in love before and it didn't work," Rory murmured. "I don't know if I want kids, or if he does. His coffee's not as good as Luke's. I'd have to stay in Boston." She grew quiet, and after a moment Lorelai raised her head to look at her expectantly.

"Is that it?" she asked.

Rory nodded.

"Okay," Lorelai cleared her throat. "Just because things didn't work with Logan doesn't mean they won't work with Ethan. Logan proposed too, and you turned him down. Why?"

"Because…I didn't want that life," Rory replied. "I needed to do things for myself, and as much as I loved Logan, I'd never have had that in my relationship with him. Not with his family."

"Do you feel stifled like that with Ethan?" Lorelai asked.

"No."

"Not a problem," Lorelai said, drawing a line through it. "Next…kids. This is a big thing. You should definitely talk about that before you commit to anything. It could get messy if you don't, trust me."

Rory narrowed her eyes at her. "You and Luke talked about kids," she said. "I mean, not at first, but you made plenty of disgusting jokes that told me you were trying to have a baby."

Lorelai nodded and drew her pen across the paper in a random design. "Yeah, we did," she said. "But…well, during that pathetic attempt with your dad, he told me he wanted another kid with me."

"He _what?"_ Rory cried. "How did you never tell me this?"

"Not important," Lorelai shook her head. "But that was when I started to realize things what a mistake we'd made. He wanted more kids, I didn't. We should have talked about it."

"You did have another kid."

Lorelai smiled softly. "Yeah, with the right guy," she said. "Enough about me. We'll leave this one on the con, at least until you know how he feels about your undecided status on kids. Coffee…no one's is as good as Luke's, but luckily he's sticking around. I'm sure he'll give Ethan his secret, so we can cross that one off. Last…you don't want to stay in Boston? I thought you were happy there."

"I am," Rory said. She toyed with the edge of her sleeve as she admitted, "I guess I just always had the idea that I'd come back here someday. Settle down and become a townie again."

"The world's a lot bigger than Stars Hollow, Rory," Lorelai said softly. "You deserve more."

"You don't want to leave either."

"True," Lorelai nodded. "But me…I'm different, hon. This was my escape, my refuge. If I hadn't stumbled into this town so many moons ago, I have no idea where I'd have ended up. But this town, the Independence Inn, the people, they saved me from a really bad place. I'm so glad you love it here as much as I do, and it was a perfect place to raise you. But this town is too small for you, kid. You're better than running the bookstore or editing the Stars Hollow Gazette."

"I guess I just had the _option_ of coming back here if I wanted to," Rory said quietly. "If I get married, if Ethan and I buy a house and start a life together…it fails to be about just me anymore."

Lorelai nodded. "Okay, so we'll say you need to talk to him about that as well," she said. She looked down at the list for a moment, then reached for Rory's hand. "I think you do have to talk to Ethan before you can give him an honest answer. I wish I'd talked to Max, I would have realized that we weren't on the same page with a lot of things."

Rory looked down at her hands. "Do you think he'll forgive me?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah," Lorelai said with a small smile. "If he knows what's best for him."

"I guess this is my thing," Rory murmured. "First kiss, I ran away from the market. First I love you, I ran to Grandma and Grandpa. When I lost my virginity I ran to Europe."

"Wow, by that account, you should be halfway to Australia by now," Lorelai teased. "You keep distancing yourself further and further."

"Yeah, well, all of those things were with Dean," Rory murmured. "What a mess that was."

"It ended badly," Lorelai conceded. "But the beginning was nice, right?"

"I guess," Rory sighed. "It's just tainted now."

"Some things are," Lorelai said. "You, darling daughter, are the one positive thing I have from my own contaminated first relationship."

Rory leaned into her mother and sighed. "Can I stay here for awhile?" she asked.

Lorelai wrapped her arm around her shoulders. "I love you, Rory, and you're welcome to stay as long as you want," she said. "But the longer you put this conversation with Ethan off, the harder it's going to be. Use me as a cautionary tale; if you hide what's bugging you, you'll end up even more hurt. That's not what I want for you."

"You're right," Rory whispered. "I just don't want to make a mistake."

"You're looking at the queen of making mistakes," Lorelai whispered. "Rory, with a few exceptions, you've always been the more logical, thoughtful one of us. Before your first cup of coffee, you researched both the health risks and benefits of a teenager consuming caffeine. It took me a month and a half to get you to try it."

Rory giggled slightly. "And now I can't live without it," she said.

Lorelai leaned forward and kissed Rory's forehead. "Sometimes you have to follow your heart," she said. "Do you think I'd be here if I hadn't? Do you think I'd have this house or your sister would even exist if I hadn't ignored the logical part of me and asked Luke to give things one more try?"

"It just seems too easy," Rory said quietly. "After everything you went through before you got married, doesn't it seem like I'm just having it handed to me?"

"We've had really different lives, Rory," Lorelai reminded her. "I mean, we're a lot a like, and we had a lot of great experiences together, but I always wanted things to be easier for you than they were for me. It goes back to my childhood. I was the girl in the frilly dress, sitting at my parents' cocktail parties and gossiping with the maid when I had the chance. You had a fun, exciting childhood with absolutely no pressure placed on you. Besides the pressure you put on yourself, which was more than enough."

"I guess you're right," Rory sighed. "I freaked Luke out."

Lorelai shook her head. "Don't worry about him," she said. "He's become an expert at handling us female folk. Between my pregnancy hormones and April's teenage meltdowns, this was a walk in the park for him."

"At least I'm not left out," Rory said.

"He's pretty good at cheering us Gilmores up," Lorelai said. "Has been since the time I called him in a rambling panic demanding mashed potatoes."

Rory nodded. "Do you think we can have it?" she asked. "Me and Ethan. Do you think we can have what you and Luke have?"

"Every relationship is different," Lorelai mused. "I mean, Luke and I spent eight years dancing around our feelings, whereas you and Ethan jumped in barely knowing each other's names."

"Luke still doesn't know that, does he?" Rory blushed.

Lorelai zipped her lips shut. "Nope," she promised. "Never will, as far as I'm concerned. He doesn't need to know about that part of your life."

"Thanks," Rory breathed. "I like that I can still talk to you like my best friend."

"Always," Lorelai said with a nod. "So, what's the plan?"

"I'll go back to Boston tomorrow," Rory whispered. "Ethan and I will talk things out and see if we're really ready to do this."

"Sounds perfect," Lorelai said. "I love Ethan, Rory, I really do. I think he's great for you, but if you're not completely sure that this is what you want, you need to tell him now, before either of you gets in over your head. It's only fair to him."

Rory's eyes filled with tears. "I love him, Mom," she said. "I just don't know if I'm ready to get married."

"Tell him that."

"I don't want to lose him."

"Tell him that."

"I liked things the way they were."

"Tell him that."

Rory smiled slightly. "I'm sensing a pattern," she stated.

"Then follow my advice," Lorelai said. "I'm very wise, you know."

"Yep, my Yale educated brain would be nothing without your guidance." Rory's tone was joking, but her eyes told Lorelai that she was serious.

"You know what I smell?" Lorelai asked, her eyes sparkling. "Luke's brownies."

Rory's eyes lit up. "He only makes them when he wants something," she stated.

"You know him well," Lorelai acknowledged. "Right now, I just think he wants you to feel better."

"What are we waiting for, let's go get some brownies," Rory said as she climbed off the bed.

Lorelai followed, relieved to see some of her daughter's personality returning. She followed Rory down the stairs, hoping that she'd be able to find her way to happiness without even half of the challenges Lorelai had had to face. Rory had always been strong, and Lorelai was confident that she'd make the right choice for herself. She always had.

XXXXX

"Stop pacing."

"Why hasn't she called?" Luke demanded as he circled the living room floor.

"Probably because she's having the most important conversation of her life," Lorelai commented from where she was sitting cross legged on the floor, waving a stuffed elephant in front of Victoria. "Except, you know, the time she and I debated the likelihood of your hat being superglued to your head like the dad in Matilda."

He glared at her in response.

"Don't look at me like that, I was on your side," Lorelai said. "She was the one who'd read the book and at that point we'd never seen you with your hat off. In her ten year old brain it made perfect sense."

Luke sighed. "I'm still not sure we should have kicked her out," he said.

"Hi, there was no kicking out," Lorelai replied. "Just a gentle reminder that should she put the conversation off, they'd both have a lot of regrets and lose a year of their life together."

With a regretful smile, Luke sat down beside her on the floor. "Hopefully they've learned from our mistakes," he mused.

"That's what I told her," Lorelai shrugged. "Now, pay attention. Victoria's really close to rolling over."

"You've been saying that for weeks."

"Yes, and eventually she's going to do it, at which point I'll be right," Lorelai confirmed.

Luke turned his attention to his daughter. "When it comes time for you to start talking, follow my example," he requested.

Victoria responded by squealing slightly, then kicking her legs in the air and releasing a series of babbling noises.

"Sorry, hon, she's a Gilmore," Lorelai said.

"And a Danes."

"Yup, she's got the early morning habits to prove it," Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"Good girl," Luke said, reaching out to tickle Victoria's stomach slightly.

The phone rang and Lorelai lunged across Luke to reach for it, ignoring his smirk. "Rory?" she asked, remaining stretched across Luke's lap as she listened for a response.

"Hi, Mom," Rory said, her voice uncertain.

"How are you? Is Ethan there? Did you talk to him? What happened?" Lorelai demanded.

"Um…yeah, we talked," Rory said.

"And?" Lorelai asked impatiently.

"We're getting married."

A thousand memories flashed through Lorelai's mind upon hearing those words.

 _Christopher, brushing her hair out of her face and promising they'd just skip the condom this one time._

 _The strip turning pink._

 _Rory kicking inside of her for the first time._

 _Holding Rory for the first time and realizing she was no longer alone._

 _Getting off the bus in Stars Hollow and immediately feeling free, Rory perched on her hip._

 _Rory's first steps, her two toothed smile beaming at Lorelai._

 _Her first day of kindergarten, her hair pulled into pigtails and books clutched to her chest._

 _Skating across the pond with Luke on Rory's other side._

 _Researching local private schools to help Rory get into Harvard._

 _Reluctantly re-entering her parents' world for Rory's sake._

 _Opening the mailbox to find three large envelopes._

 _Rory's graduation speech, which had brought even Luke to tears._

 _Trekking through Europe with Rory at her side and a map in her hands._

 _Dropping Rory off at Yale for the first time._

 _Running across the yard to greet each other after too much time apart._

 _Rory receiving her Yale diploma._

 _Her daughter, surrounded by the entire town, about to enter the world all on her own._

 _Dancing to Blondie at her wedding, Rory at her side._

 _Meeting Ethan and realizing that he looked at Rory the same way her husband looked at her._

"Oh, Rory," she straightened herself and reached for Luke's hand. "I'm so happy for you."

"We had a lot to talk through," Rory admitted. "I apologized and explained why I freaked out. He said he understood, and we talked about those two cons that were holding me back."

"What did he say?" Lorelai asked softly.

"He said that he's not sure if he wants kids either," Rory said. "And that when either one of us knows for sure we should tell the other. As for Stars Hollow, he said that if we're ever at the point where Boston becomes overwhelming, we can think about moving. He said he'd like to experience small town life."

Lorelai smiled warmly at Luke and nodded. "I know of a pretty great house you could rent," she said. "But I maintain that you're meant for bigger and better things."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Rory, so much," Lorelai murmured.

"Is Luke there?"

"In the flesh."

"Can I talk to him?"

Lorelai squeezed Luke's hand and nodded. "Sure, he _loves_ talking on the phone," she commented. "He even has one of those operator headsets so he can still cook and stuff while chatting."

"Mom!"

"Sorry," Lorelai laughed. She held the phone out to Luke and nodded. "She's got news."

As Luke took the phone and lifted it to his ear, Lorelai rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, only half listening to the conversation. This was such a surreal moment; playing with her four month old daughter and listening to her twenty four year old describe her engagement. She caught a few of Luke's phrases ("happy for you," "need anything," and "kill him,") among the easiest to recognize, but for the most part she just enjoyed the feeling of his chest rumbling as he spoke.

"Hey," he nudged her a moment later. "She wants to talk to you again."

Lorelai smiled and took the phone back. "So when do I get to see the pretty, pretty ring?" she asked.

"When I do," Rory said. "He wants to ask his dad for his mom's engagement ring."

Lorelai's heart warmed. "Oh, hon, that's so sweet," she said. "But it better not be bigger than my ring."

Luke rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter how big it is," he told her.

"Dirty!" Lorelai gasped. "You only think that because…"

"Mom!" Rory shouted. "Please do _not_ finish that sentence."

"Sorry," Lorelai giggled. "Will you send me a picture when you get the ring?"

"Of course," Rory said. "Thanks. For everything yesterday. I know I'm a grown up, but sometimes it's nice to come home and let you guys take care of me."

"Anytime," Lorelai promised. "You're always welcome here, Rory, I hope you know that."

"Same goes for you," Rory said. "If you're ever in the mood to experience the big city, you know where to find me."

Lorelai smiled. "Be careful what you wish for, Luke will be there for every baseball game," she said.

"Well, he and Ethan can go be men and we can shop and drink coffee."

"I like the way you think."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Rory," Lorelai sighed. "Call me tomorrow."

"Bye," Rory said.

Lorelai clicked the phone off and turned to look at Luke. "My baby's getting married," she said with a bittersweet smile.

Luke nodded and reached out to play with her hair. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Old," Lorelai said. "I can't believe I'm adding mother in law to my list of roles in the world."

"I'm glad Rory figured it out," Luke murmured.

"Wow, look how far you've come, Mr. 'She deserves a real prince, not a fake one,'" Lorelai observed. "But it makes it easier since Ethan's a younger version of you."

"I still don't see it," Luke muttered.

"It's a compliment," Lorelai told him.

Luke rolled his eyes. "I'm glad you think that," he said.

"It is kind of strange," Lorelai said softly. "Rory's twenty four. I had an eight year old and was assistant manager of the inn when I was her age. I'd only ever lived with my parents and in the shed, and I'd never had a stable relationship. Her life has been exactly what I always wanted for her."

"What about yours?" Luke asked gently.

Lorelai shrugged. "It's okay, I guess," she sighed nonchalantly.

"Uh huh," Luke played along. "What would make it better than _okay?"_

"You could finally install that burrito machine in the kitchen," Lorelai suggested.

"Sorry."

"Well, then, it's going to remain okay," Lorelai said.

"Get over here," Luke said, tugging gently on her arm.

Lorelai giggled and crawled towards him, pressing her lips to his as he leaned back against the coffee table. "I still refuse to acknowledge that we're old," she murmured against his lips.

Luke nodded to his other side, where Victoria was looking at them curiously as she lay on her back. "Luckily she'll keep us young for awhile," he speculated.

"She better," Lorelai said. "Do you think we're embarrassing her yet?"

"Nah, she's used to it," Luke said confidently before he pressed his lips against hers again.

Lorelai giggled, then sat back on her heels and smiled at Victoria. "Daddy does give both of us lots of kisses, doesn't he?" she cooed.

"Aw jeez."

"And he hates admitting that he's lost his grumpy edge," Lorelai continued.

Victoria babbled a string of consonants, then reached her hands towards Lorelai. She kicked her legs excitedly for a moment before she flipped onto her stomach, pushing herself up with her small arms.

"Oh my god," Lorelai gasped, gripping onto Luke's arms. "Did you see that?"

"Yeah," Luke's voice was also filled with awe. "Good job, sweetheart."

"Another milestone," Lorelai smiled as she reached over Luke to scoop Victoria into her arms. "Maybe we can convince your big sister to wait a couple years to get married so you can be her flower girl!"

"Don't think that will be hard," Luke murmured.

Lorelai sighed and hugged Victoria close, inhaling the scent of her baby shampoo. "She's growing so fast," she stated.

"I know," Luke said, taking Victoria's tiny foot in his hand and tickling it gently. She squealed in response, causing both Luke and Lorelai to laugh.

"Someday it will be her getting married," Lorelai said wistfully.

"Don't say that," Luke rolled his eyes. "It's hard enough to think about Rory being married, and we knew it was coming."

Lorelai smiled and held Victoria up over her head. Her daughter squealed happily and waved her arms in the air, and both parents smiled in return. "How about you never grow up?" Lorelai requested. "You'll stay with Mommy and Daddy forever."

"Unless you want to be the first woman to pitch for the Red Sox," Luke added.

"Ignore Daddy, he still thinks he's going to get you to be interested in sports," Lorelai whispered loudly as she lowered Victoria back onto her blanket. "Keep rolling around, baby girl, April will want to see your new talent when she gets home."

Luke frowned as he reached for her cell phone. "She hasn't called."

"Probably because you scared the daylights out of her with all that research on talking on a cell phone while driving," Lorelai commented.

"I don't like her driving."

"Well, the state of Connecticut thinks she's pretty good at it," Lorelai commented. "They gave her a license."

"They also gave _you_ a license."

Lorelai frowned. "I was very responsible when I got my license," she said. "I was a mother to a two year old."

"Uh huh, and did you tell the driving instructor about your little adventure driving yourself to the hospital to give birth?" Luke inquired.

"They didn't ask," Lorelai shrugged. "She's responsible, Luke, she'll be fine."

Luke crossed his arms over his chest and regarded her sternly. "I'm sorry, it must have been another Lorelai that called me and demanded that we follow Rory in my truck the first time she drove alone," he said sarcastically.

"Okay, I get it, it's a parent thing," Lorelai said. "But don't act all innocent. You were the one who yelled at me when you saw Rory behind the wheel of the Jeep."

"I didn't _know_ she'd gotten her license."

"Yes, and Rory was the kind of kid to steal a car," Lorelai said knowingly. "Boats were more of her thing."

"Why are we arguing about this?" Luke asked.

"It's not an argument, just a spirited discussion," Lorelai informed him. She watched Victoria chew on the corner of her blanket for a moment before she said softly, "Rory's going to have a wedding."

Luke nodded. "Usually what happens after a proposal," he said.

"Christopher's going to be there."

"I know," Luke stated.

"I haven't seen him for more than…those fifteen minutes he needed that paperwork last year," Lorelai whispered. "It's going to be a lot, Luke. Engagement parties, rehearsals, a ceremony, pictures, reception, Sunday brunch…he's going to want to be involved in all of it."

"Rory will want him there."

Lorelai closed her eyes. "For some of it, probably," she said. "I don't want to be worried about him during that time. It should be special, for Rory."

"You won't have to worry," Luke promised. "I'd never do anything to ruin that for Rory."

"I know," Lorelai whispered. "I just don't know how it's going to be. Having him there, knowing he's watching us, will be stressful in and of itself."

"Watching us?"

"Come on, Luke, you know he's going to be curious," Lorelai said. "I don't think he'll try anything, but I know him. He's going to want to know about our life, to watch us together. That's what he'll be focused on."

"He'll be focused on Rory."

"You'd think that," Lorelai sighed. "We've talked about this, it was always about me first and Rory second. I'm not saying that to be pretentious, but it's true. I wish, for Rory's sake, he'd been more focused on her, but he never has been. I can't see that changing after all this time."

Luke ran a hand over his face. "Okay, it might be awkward, but we'll get through it," he said. Nudging her shoulder, he added, "I'll even dance with you."

Lorelai smiled. "We should ask Liz about the song that played at her wedding," she mused. "I remember it was beautiful."

"You were beautiful."

"And you were very handsome," Lorelai smiled. "That night was so wonderful. I left my house thinking we were going to spend a friendly evening together, and by the time I got home we'd made a date that I wasn't sure was a date."

"We never got that movie date."

"I think we've made up for it," Lorelai said confidently. "We've watched plenty a movie, you and me."

"With very few sports games."

"Hey, I told you I'd go to that baseball game next week," Lorelai defended herself.

"I know, and I still think you'll have fun," Luke said. "Nachos, hot dogs, peanuts…"

"Cracker jack," Lorelai interjected.

"I'll be lucky if you even realize when the game's started," Luke muttered.

"Don't worry, Butch, I'm limiting myself to one snack," Lorelai replied.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why?" he asked.

Gesturing towards her body, Lorelai informed him, "Eight more pounds to go."

"So by not consuming the eight pounds of lard and sugar that night you'll be back to your pre baby weight," Luke surmised.

"How well you know me!" Lorelai exclaimed.

With a shake of his head, Luke rested a hand on her knee. "Life would be very boring without you around," he informed her.

"And it would be lonely without you," Lorelai confirmed. "Hey," she whispered as she leaned towards him.

"Yeah?"

"You're going to be a father in law."

Luke sighed. "That sounds so formal," he frowned.

"You could take advice from my dad," Lorelai suggested. "He's been a pretty good father in law, right?"

"Now, yes," Luke nodded. "As the father of my girlfriend? Not so much."

"Well, you're just lucky I'm your wife then," Lorelai stated. "Otherwise he'd still be trying to franchise your diner."

Luke cleared his throat. "You know, I've been thinking…"

"Oh my god, tell me you're not going to franchise Luke's," Lorelai begged. "Is he still asking you about that? I'm going to kill him!"

"No, he hasn't said a word," Luke said. "I was thinking about expanding."

"Expanding?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah," Luke nodded. "It's been almost twenty years since I opened, and I just thought I could make the dining room a little bigger, maybe make part of it a café or something. Rory and April both did a lot of studying there, so I thought it might be nice to cater to that atmosphere a little bit."

Lorelai looked at him, stunned. "You're going to turn Luke's into a café?" she asked. "But it's perfect the way it is!"

"I'm not going to change it," he said. "Just drive up Taylor's rent and take over the ice cream shop."

"You evil genius, that's brilliant!" Lorelai exclaimed. "I could totally be your decorator."

"I don't need a decorator."

"Or coffee cup tester."

"I don't need that either."

Lorelai frowned. "What _can_ I do?" she asked.

After a moment of contemplation, Luke replied, "You can explain to Taylor why this is a good idea."

"Why do I get the boring job?" Lorelai whined.

"You have your own job, I can handle the diner," Luke shrugged.

"So much for family business," Lorelai scoffed.

"I think our family business would be the inn," Luke rolled his eyes. "I've fixed more stuff there than I have here."

"Hi, you come to fix stuff so you can look at my pretty face," Lorelai said knowingly.

Luke hung his head. "You figured out my secret?" he asked.

"Yup, but it's okay, I like watching you in manly builder mode," Lorelai said. "I made have even broken a thing or two from time to time just to watch you hammer and drill." She giggled, then commented, "Dirty!"

"You set that up," Luke accused.

"Yeah, I've been waiting a really long time to slip that into a conversation," Lorelai said. "Just wait for the baseball game. I've got a whole list of base-related dirty jokes filed away."

Luke sighed. "Suddenly I'm regretting this," he said.

"No backing out now, Danes," Lorelai warned. "We've had a million dates that include my stuff, it's about time we included your things."

"I know, I appreciate it," Luke said. Turning to look at Victoria, he commented, "Think she could handle a day on the boat?"

"Uh, no." Lorelai said firmly. "She's way too young."

"She'll like it."

"She didn't like it last time."

"Last time we didn't even know about her," Luke pointed out.

"Well, she made herself pretty well known by the amount of puking I did," Lorelai said. "She's not going on the boat. This isn't a discussion."

Luke began to tense. "I don't get a say in this?" he asked.

Lorelai raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You really want to bring her to your boat?" she asked.

"It's our boat, she should enjoy it," Luke shrugged. "We barely went out last summer."

"Because you knocked me up and the rocking made me sick," Lorelai said.

"Don't get mad, I just don't know why you're so dead set against her going out."

"She's a baby, Luke. She weighs fourteen pounds. One strong gust of wind or huge wave, and she's sliding overboard!"

"You're being dramatic."

"You're willing to risk her life for a joy ride?" Lorelai snapped.

"I didn't say that!" Luke insisted. "We'll get her a life vest, and we can baby proof the boat. We'll get her a seat and strap her in."

"Uh huh, and what about the sun?" Lorelai asked. "Her skin's more sensitive than ours."

"We'll put her in the shade and put sunscreen on every ten minutes."

Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest. "Sounds like you've got it all figured out," she accused.

"I didn't think I'd have to defend a day on the boat," Luke admitted. "It will be fun."

"No."

"Lorelai…"

"Don't Lorelai me!" she snapped, reaching for Victoria. "I'm not giving in on this, Luke, it's not happening until she's older."

Luke watched as she stood and strode towards the door. He pulled himself to his feet and then followed her up the stairs. "What the hell is the problem?" he asked.

"Not now."

"We don't ignore things," Luke followed her into the nursery. "Talk to me."

"Not in front of her," Lorelai said, gesturing to Victoria. "Let me change her diaper and put her down for her nap, then we can go for round two."

Luke nodded as he shoved his hands in his pockets. Before Victoria had been born, they'd agreed to fight in front of her as little as possible. Lorelai had confessed to feeling stifled and uncomfortable while she was growing up because of the constant fighting between her and her parents, and she didn't want Victoria to know that kind of tension. Luke, familiar with the tension between his sister and father after his mom had died, had readily agreed.

Five minutes later, Lorelai tied the garbage bag and lifted it out of the diaper disposer. After making sure that Victoria was comfortable, she flicked the baby monitor on and Luke reached for the portable counterpart. Silently, they stepped out of the room and walked down the stairs. Lorelai headed for the front door and Luke followed, watching from the porch as she deposited the garbage into the trash can near the sidewalk.

"So what's the deal with the boat?" Luke asked when she returned to the porch, his voice somewhat calmer.

"I told you, she's too little."

"We'll make sure she's safe," Luke promised. "I'd never do anything to put her in danger, you know that."

"Sounds like you want to bring her out on the Titanic," Lorelai countered.

Luke crossed his arms over his chest and stared her down. "Talk," he ordered.

Lorelai frowned and looked down at the floor. "Ugh, you and your stupid ability to see through my carefully thought out reasoning," she muttered.

"Lorelai."

She shrugged as she walked towards the kitchen. She swept a few dirty bottles off the counter and headed to the sink.

"Don't do this, I'm not going to fall for this," Luke said. "Feel free to do the dishes, but talk to me while you're doing it."

"We'd be in the middle of nowhere," Lorelai said. "What if she stops breathing? Or decides to start crawling and crawls over the edge? We'd have no way to get her help."

"Okay, that's a fair point," Luke relented. "What else?"

Lorelai flicked the water off and turned to look at him. He was surprised to see tears in her eyes. "Rory never got to go on a boat," she admitted.

"What?" Luke asked, completely thrown for a loop.

"Not till she was older," Lorelai said. "You know the story. I was a kid, I had no money, we lived in a shed. Not even a cottage, a shed. She didn't even have a dad. I lost the pregnancy weight almost as soon as I left Hartford because I only ate leftovers from the inn. Once she got older, Rory got the first servings. She never complained, but I know she hated some of that food. Now Victoria's here, and she has everything. A house, a dad, a car to drive her around. She has toys and books that belong to her, not the library. She has food and a room of her own. She has all this stuff that I was never able to give Rory. I don't regret it, I'm not looking for pity. I always wanted to provide Rory with more when she was a baby, but I did the best I could."

"You did amazing."

"She's been so supportive, and she hasn't said anything about this," Lorelai murmured. "But I can't help wondering if she's jealous of Victoria for getting the things she never had."

"Rory did have a home," Luke countered. "She had food and books and she had _you._ I don't think she regrets any of it."

"I just don't want to show it off," Lorelai said. "All the stuff she couldn't do when she was little, I don't want to just do it with Victoria without thinking about Rory."

"Lorelai," Luke sighed. "You're overthinking this."

"I don't think I am."

Luke nodded slowly, then commented, "Rory went to college. She graduated high school and traveled through Europe and graduated from an Ivy League school, then got to travel the country. I know you, Lorelai. I know you don't regret how you handled getting pregnant so young, but I also know that you would have wanted to do all of those things if you hadn't had Rory."

"What's your point?"

"When Rory did those things, did you feel like she was rubbing it in your face?" Luke asked. "Did she ever make you feel badly that she got to do the things that you never did?"

"No."

"So what makes you think that she'll feel that way about you and I taking care of Victoria?" Luke asked. "We can't keep her from having experiences just because Rory or April didn't get that chance. By that logic, you should be raising Victoria in that shed on your own. Is that what you want?"

"No."

"Then let's do this together," Luke said. "Victoria's her own person. Just like April and Rory are their own people. We can't treat them the same because they're not the same."

Reluctantly, Lorelai lowered her arms from her chest. "I guess you're right," she conceded.

Luke shrugged. "And…you know…I'm sorry for yelling."

"Me too."

"We don't have to take her out," Luke said. "You're right, maybe we should wait until she's a little older."

"Compromise?" Lorelai offered. "Let's take her to the marina and spend the afternoon on the boat without leaving the parking space."

"The slip."

"Whatever," she shrugged. "How's that sound? Dry land's close by, and we'll put her in a baby life preserver. There will be less wind and waves, so I'll feel a little better about having her out there."

Luke nodded slowly. "That sounds fair," he conceded. "We're getting good at this compromise thing."

"That we are," Lorelai nodded.

He smirked as he stepped towards her. "We had a fight," he murmured, pulling her closer.

Lorelai smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "That we did," she said.

"Then we got over it," he continued.

"Yes, we did," Lorelai agreed.

He leaned down to kiss her, turning her so her thighs were pressed against the edge of the kitchen table. "We're due for some make up sex," he breathed before he trailed a line of kisses to her jaw, then taking her earlobe in his mouth.

Lorelai sighed in pleasure and rested a hand on the back of his head as he sucked gently at the skin. Her other hand moved to brace herself on the table, and she let out a soft moan when Luke's lips trailed lower, warm against the top outline of her shirt. "Luke," she sighed as he ran his tongue over her collar bone. "Still off limits."

"That's okay," he murmured as his hands went to the hem of her sweater. "I can find other places to do what I want to."

She gasped as he sank to his knees and lifted her shirt slightly, pressing his lips to the bare skin of her stomach. His hands moved to the button on her jeans, and Lorelai watched as he slowly pulled her zipper down.

"Hmm, wearing my favorite underwear, are you?" he asked, seeing the lacy light blue material peek out from the denim.

"Finally fit back into the sexy lingerie," Lorelai replied.

Luke hooked his thumbs through the belt loops of her jeans and began to tug them down. "It's all sexy," he told her.

Lorelai sighed as she watched him for a moment, then reached down to run a hand over his hair. "Babe, April's going to be home soon," she reminded him. "We can't do this here."

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Luke paused for a moment. "You're right," he sighed, then planted a kiss to her hip before he pulled away and stood.

"Making me do the covering up?" she asked with a smirk as she buttoned and zipped her jeans.

"I can't be trusted," Luke shook his head, turning towards the fridge.

"Need a glass of ice water?" Lorelai giggled.

"Don't mock," Luke said, reaching for a water bottle.

"I'm not mocking, I totally get it," Lorelai said. "I could go for a cold shower right now too."

Luke rolled his eyes and downed half the water bottle in a long gulp. "Last thing you need," he shook his head.

"I'm already wet, so it wouldn't make much of a difference," Lorelai stated, causing Luke to choke slightly on his water.

"Geez, Lorelai," he muttered. "Don't do that to me!"

She giggled as she hopped onto the counter. "You should know by now that I can make a dirty joke out of anything," she said.

"Trust me, I'm very familiar with that particular quality of yours."

"You know, we can still sex it up," Lorelai said, glancing at the clock on the stove. "Just in the privacy of our locked bedroom. I just don't want to take a chance that April will get home early. Having the birds and the bees conversation goes beyond my duties as stepmother."

Rolling his eyes, Luke charged towards the doorway. "Come on," he implored.

"Come on?" Lorelai asked. "That's your idea of romance?"

Luke turned to her, his eyes dark and filled with desire. "Do you really want romance right now?" he demanded.

Feeling a surge of arousal run through her body, Lorelai bit her lower lip and shook her head slowly. "No."

"Okay," Luke said, grabbing her arm and pulling her off the counter. "Come on."

"You know, just because we like to be a little intense sometimes doesn't mean you can order me around," Lorelai frowned as they walked up the stairs.

"Fine," Luke said, closing their bedroom door behind them and flicking the lock. He turned to press her against the closed door, running a hand over her shoulder. "You tell me what you want."

Without a word, Lorelai pushed herself off of the door and into his arms, wrapping her arms and legs around him as she kissed him deeply. "Love me," she requested when they pulled apart. "That's what I want. Love me, Luke."

"You know I do," he replied.

"Prove it," she ordered. "Show me."

With that, Luke stumbled towards the bed and tossed her onto it, reaching for the button on her jeans and watching as her body began to flush with anticipation. Suddenly, nothing mattered besides making her feel loved.

XXXXX

"Oh my god," Lorelai panted twenty minutes later as Luke rolled onto his back beside her. "Luke…I…oh my god."

Breathing just as heavily as she was, Luke turned to look at her carefully. "Something to be said for make up sex," he stated.

Lorelai shook her head as she lifted a shaking hand to brush her hair off of her forehead. "That wasn't just make up sex," she commented. "That was like make up sex, birthday sex, and the night the Red Sox won the World Series sex all at once."

Luke smiled as he turned onto his side and ran an affectionate hand over Lorelai's stomach. "That was a good night," he acknowledged.

"First time I saw you get all caveman literally on me," Lorelai recalled.

"It was a big deal," Luke murmured.

"Was that your best time too?" Lorelai whispered.

Luke thought for a moment, his thumb tracing a gentle circle over the skin of her stomach. "Nah, we've done better since then," he finally recalled.

"Like when?" Lorelai pressed.

"Last New Year's Eve," Luke reminded her. "Remember, we'd only been married a couple days and finally had the house to ourselves."

Lorelai's eyes glazed over with recognition. "True, that was a pretty hot night," she relented. "Although I still maintain that you kept me all sexed up because you didn't want to go to Patty's."

"It worked," Luke shrugged.

"It did," Lorelai confirmed. "For old married people, we're pretty hot."

"Agreed," Luke said. He slid closer, nudging his knee between her legs and tangling their limbs together. "We've even managed to work around that adorable crying baby."

"Well, you just jinxed that," Lorelai said with a sigh.

"What are you talking about?"

"She's going to start crying just because you said that," Lorelai said.

"She is not."

On cue, Victoria's soft whimper came over the baby monitor and Lorelai shot Luke a smug smile. "You jinxed it, you get her," she said, patting his shoulder.

"Fine," Luke grumbled, pressing a kiss to Lorelai's bare shoulder before he rolled out of bed. As he pulled on his clothes, he watched Lorelai stretch out, making no move to do the same. "You know you have to get up too, it's the middle of the afternoon."

"Yeah, I know," Lorelai sighed. She sat up and reached for his flannel. "I'll take this, thank you very much." She slid it on, but didn't button it. "She's probably hungry."

"I'll bring her right in," Luke said, tugging his t-shirt down and then heading towards the door. When he returned a moment later, Victoria was squirming in his arms. "She's cranky."

"Well, she's your kid," Lorelai shrugged as she reached out for her. Victoria immediately turned into her, her tears pressing against Lorelai's neck. "Was her diaper wet?"

"Nope," Luke said as he sat down next to Lorelai. Victoria calmed as Lorelai rocked her gently, and Luke's eyes softened at the sight of the two of them together. "Just needed some hugs from Mom I guess."

"Guess so," Lorelai sighed. She shifted Victoria and when the baby began to nurse, Lorelai raised her gaze to meet Luke's. "Or she was hungry."

Luke ran a hand over Victoria's head, her hair soft and fine under his fingers. "Maybe a little of both," he speculated.

Lorelai nodded and looked down at Victoria. "Your big sister's getting married," she whispered. "It seems like yesterday it was her and I doing this."

"Rory loves you, Lorelai," Luke murmured.

"I know," Lorelai sighed. "I always wanted better for her. When she was this little, we were still at my parents', and I wanted more for her. She was going to go to college and travel the world and get married, all the things I never got to do."

"You've done all of that," Luke reminded her gently. "Maybe not in the traditional way or the way in which you thought you would, but you got all of it. So has Rory."

"I know," Lorelai nodded. "It's just going to take a while to process. I finally got myself a husband, and Rory's going to get one without all the drama and back and forth."

"That's good," Luke said. "I'd never want her to go through what we did."

"Me neither," Lorelai sighed. "She's happy, that's what's important."

Luke watched as Victoria separated from Lorelai and stretched her arms over her head. "Luckily we've got someone else to keep us busy," he commented.

"We do," Lorelai confirmed. "Burp her while I get dressed?"

"Of course," Luke nodded, shifting his daughter gently into his arms. He watched as Lorelai buttoned the flannel halfway and then stood, gathering the clothes that had been thrown across the room as they'd stumbled towards the bed. "Hey."

Lorelai paused as she was zipping her skirt. "What?" she asked.

"We've done well," he stated.

"I know," Lorelai said with a soft smile. "She's pretty cute."

"I want this for Rory too," he added. "Maybe not for another fifteen years, but I do want her to have what we have."

Lorelai smiled as she zipped her skirt and stood in front of him. "Me too," she acknowledged. "But just know, whether Rory has kids or not, I will never, _ever_ be referred to as Grandma."

"I figured."

"Now, you, on the other hand, will make a great grandpa."

Luke rolled his eyes and nodded towards the blue striped sweater tossed over the back of the armchair beside their bed. "Just get dressed and stop talking," he requested.


	14. Chapter 14

**So now that A Year in the Life is fully processed in my head, I'm able to write more frequently again. Thanks to all who are still reading!**

* * *

"I love baseball," Lorelai declared a week later as she sat down beside Luke in a plastic stadium seat. "Hold this."

Luke rolled his eyes as he stared at the chili dog in her hand. "I'm not touching that crap."

"Luke! I can't eat my nachos and hold my chili dog at the same time," Lorelai rationalized.

With a begrudging sigh, Luke took the cardboard box and wrinkled his nose. "I thought you were giving yourself a one snack limit," he recalled.

"Too hard to choose," Lorelai said, wiping a spot of melted cheese off of her chin with the back of her hand.

"I've never wanted you more," Luke said sarcastically.

"You love me," Lorelai reminded him around a mouthful of nachos.

"Trying to remember why at the moment," Luke muttered as he reached for his beer.

Lorelai swallowed and batted her eyelashes at him. "Because I'm pretty and I make you laugh," she provided.

"Eh, there is that," Luke sighed. Nodding towards the field, he asked, "How are you enjoying the game?"

"Has it started?" Lorelai replied, not looking up from her nachos.

"It's the bottom of the fourth."

Lorelai gasped. "Dirty!"

"You promised you'd at least _try_ to pay attention," Luke reminded her sternly.

Lorelai nodded as she set her empty nachos container on the ground. "Sorry," she said. She leaned forward and asked, "So that's the field?"

"Yes," Luke said, his voice amused. "The Navigators are at bat. They're the home team, which means they go second."

"Okay, so they just have to hit the balls and hope to score?" Lorelai asked. Her eyes lit up and she opened her mouth, but quickly clamped it shut, biting her lower lip as she stared at the field.

Aware of what was coming, Luke let out a sigh. "Go ahead."

"Dirty," Lorelai giggled.

Luke turned to her, unable to suppress the smile spread across his face. "I can't believe that still amuses you," he marveled.

"Doesn't take much," Lorelai shrugged as she reached for her chili dog. "So what position did you play?"

"Third base."

"Important job," Lorelai smirked. "Especially as the father of three girls."

Luke looked at her, irritated. "Can you think about anything else?" he asked.

"Sorry," she said around a mouthful of chili. "It's just because my husband is so hot."

"Then maybe you shouldn't annoy him to death."

Before Lorelai could respond, a voice called his name, and their heads both turned to see an older man approaching them. Luke's eyes brightened with recognition and he stood to shake the man's hand. "John, it's been awhile," he said.

"Too long," John agreed. "Buddy tells me you're married with kids."

"Uh, yeah, this is my wife, Lorelai," Luke said, turning to Lorelai. "This is John, he was a good friend of my dad's."

"Hi, I'm Lorelai," she said as she reached out to shake his hands.

John offered her a warm smile. "William always hoped Luke here would settle down, but I don't think he'd dreamed of her being as beautiful as you are."

Lorelai offered a dazzling smile. "Well, I like you," she declared.

"Are you still in New London?" Luke asked, trying to make conversation.

"Yeah, the seafood business is much more efficient on the coast," John confirmed. "Figured I'd take in a game and saw you across the stands. I had to say hi."

"I'm glad you did," Luke nodded.

"So do you have pictures?" John asked. "If your girls are as pretty as their mama, I'm sure you don't stand a chance."

"You are my favorite person ever," Lorelai announced as she watched Luke pull his wallet out of his pocket.

"It's a long story," he sighed. "This is our oldest, Rory. She works at Harvard. That's April, she's finishing her first year at Chilton. The newest addition is Victoria. She's five and a half months old."

John's eyes widened with recognition as he examined the small picture Luke held out to him. "Your mother would be honored," he said. "Your daughter looks exactly like she did."

Luke smiled as he took the picture back and slid it into his pocket. "She's got a lot of her own mother in her too," he said.

Lorelai offered Luke's arm a squeeze before she turned to John. "So you must have some stories about little boy Luke," she stated. "I'll buy you dinner if you give me all the details."

"Ignore her," Luke requested.

John shook his head as he looked at Luke. "I can hardly turn down an offer for dinner with a pretty lady," he said. Addressing Lorelai, he said, "I'd love to share some memories with you. Lucas here won the Stars Hollow sci-fi convention of '78."

"Thanks for that," Luke muttered as Lorelai's eyes lit up.

"Oh my god, that's the best thing I've ever heard," Lorelai declared. "What did this convention entail?"

"I did not win, there was no competition."

"Yes, but your costume was the most elaborate," John added.

"There were costumes involved?" Lorelai asked with glee. "Please tell me there is photographic proof of this event."

"I'll show you those when you show me your pictures from the baby of the year contest," Luke countered.

"Whatever, Captain Spock, at least I didn't have a choice in the matter," Lorelai pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. "I have to tell Rory about this."

Luke shook his head as she slipped back to their seats. "Sorry," he said to John. "She's… unique."

"She's wonderful," John observed.

With a nod of his head, Luke rubbed his neck. "Yeah, she is," he said.

"Your parents would be proud," John said. "I knew them for a long time, and I saw your dad change after your mom died. He always wanted more time with her."

"We all did," Luke muttered. The original Victoria Danes would have made a fabulous grandmother to his children, and she'd have given Lorelai the maternal advice she'd lacked her entire life. "I'm sorry I fell out of touch. Things got crazy there for awhile."

John patted Luke's shoulder. "Buddy's kept me up to speed," he confirmed. "Diner's doing well?"

"Better than ever," Luke confirmed.

"Good," John said. "You've done well for yourself, Luke. I only wish your parents could have seen you now."

Luke nodded and placed his hands on his hips. "Thanks."

John patted his shoulder and pointed towards Lorelai. "I won't keep you from your wife," he said. "If I were you, I wouldn't let her out of my sight."

"It was good to see you," Luke said. "Come by the diner sometime if you're ever passing through Stars Hollow."

With a wink, John nodded. "That girl of yours did promise me dinner," he said. "I'll be in touch."

Luke nodded, then turned back to their seats where Lorelai was chatting away on her phone. He sat down next to her and patted her knee, then reached to pick up his beer from the cup holder.

"Okay, I'll talk to you when I get the details," Lorelai said before she snapped the phone closed and turned to Luke. "Aren't you just Mr. Popular running into the past down here in Norwich?"

Luke shrugged as he sipped his beer. "An old friend of my dad's," he said. "He moved down here not long after I renovated the diner. I lost touch not long after."

"He seemed nice," Lorelai offered, looking at Luke carefully.

He nodded, looking down at the baseball field. "He is," he said. "My dad would have wanted to stay in touch with him."

"It was probably pretty hard, being reminded of your parents," Lorelai speculated.

"Yeah, I wasn't exactly at my best back then," Luke admitted. "There, uh…there's actually another reason I didn't call or visit."

Lorelai's eyebrows raised in surprise. "What would that be?" she asked.

Luke took a long pull of his beer, then murmured, "He's Rachel's dad."

" _What?"_ Lorelai asked, craning her neck in attempts to see John through a new perspective. "Rachel has a dad?"

"Everyone has a dad."

"So not what I meant," Lorelai said. "So way back in the day, when Rachel came back to Stars Hollow, she had a dad half an hour away? And she decided to squeeze into that pathetic twin bed with you?"

"You sound jealous."

"I'm not jealous, I'm the one you married."

Luke turned to her with raised eyebrows, then asked, "Oh, was that you?"

Lorelai reached out to smack his shoulder. "Not funny."

"Sorry, you're just so adorable when you're jealous."

Despite herself, Lorelai smiled. Sometimes she couldn't believe words like 'adorable' had become an everyday part of Luke's vocabulary. "So…he knew your parents?" she asked.

"Yeah," Luke shrugged, turning back to the game. "Rachel and I grew up together, you know that."

Lorelai nodded slowly. "Did they like her?" she asked.

"Sure," Luke shrugged.

Lorelai twisted her engagement ring around her finger and nodded slowly. "Did they want you to marry her?" she asked.

With a laugh, Luke shook his head. "We were kids," he said. "I honestly don't think it ever came up."

"You loved her," Lorelai countered.

"I did," Luke nodded. "She was my first girlfriend, but she was…is…a nomad. She didn't want the same things I did. My dad knew I loved her, but he also saw her leave. He knew it wasn't going to work."

"What about your mom?" Lorelai asked.

Luke tensed and inhaled deeply, leaning forward in his seat. "I was ten, Lorelai," he reminded her. "My mom never got the chance to see me date anyone."

Feeling like an idiot, Lorelai reached out to rub his shoulder. "Sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject. You'd think by now I'd have learned to have a filter for this kind of thing."

Luke turned his head to press a kiss to her knuckles, where her hand was resting on his shoulder. "You just be you," he requested softly.

Lorelai tugged him back to her, then ran her hand down his arm to hold his. "Explain it to me one more time," she requested. "I'll pay attention, I promise. And I'll even keep my dirty baseball jokes until we're alone."

He squeezed her hand and pointed to the field. "Okay, so that's the diamond…."

XXXXX

Hours later, Lorelai crept into her bedroom, using the moonlight streaming in from the window to make her way to the bathroom. Luke had gone to bed early, and Lorelai had stayed up watching movies with April. It had been nice to relive the tradition she'd created with Rory years ago. Although she had a strong bond with her stepdaughter, it wasn't often the two of them got an entire evening together. April would be spending most of the summer with Anna in New Mexico, and Lorelai was glad that they'd been able to spend an evening painting each other's toenails and eating candy.

"I'm awake." Luke's voice came from the bed, and a moment later his bedside light clicked on.

"Hey," Lorelai said quietly, pausing at the end of the bed. "Sorry, I was trying to be quiet."

"You were, I was just having trouble getting to sleep," Luke sighed as he pushed himself into a seated position.

Lorelai frowned as she sat down on the end of the bed and patted the covers where his foot rested. "Want me to sing you a lullaby?" she asked somberly.

Luke scoffed. "No."

"My, how things have changed," Lorelai sighed. "Once upon a time you couldn't take your eyes off of me when I sang to you."

"I only had limited access to you then," Luke informed her. "Had to look when I could."

Lorelai smiled, then crawled up to sit in the center of the bed, still facing up with a sympathetic gaze. "What's on your mind, sailor?" she asked.

He shrugged and tugged at a string in the blanket. "Just thinking."

"Based on the expression on your face, you're not thinking about how beautiful your wife is," Lorelai surmised.

Luke reached for her hand. "Thank you," he said. "For coming with me to the game today. I liked having you there."

"Even when I ducked behind you when the stray ball flew towards my head?" Lorelai asked.

He shook his head slightly. "Haven't laughed that hard in a long time," he said.

"I am good for some physical comedy once in awhile," Lorelai confirmed. "Seriously, Luke, something's bugging you. You barely said a word when we got home."

"Nothing new about that," Luke muttered. "Can't get a word in with the rest of you."

Not buying his grumpy act, Lorelai tilted her head to the side. "Luke."

He sighed and looked at the ceiling. "At the game, when you were asking about my parents," he said. "It just brought some stuff up."

"I'm sorry," Lorelai murmured. "I've never been known for my timing."

"It's not that," Luke said. "I just started thinking about how much I would have loved to have them still here."

Lorelai shifted and settled onto the bed beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I hate that you're sad," she whispered.

Luke wrapped his arm around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm starting to forget her," he murmured into her hair.

"Who?" Lorelai asked.

Luke was silent for a moment before he admitted, "My mom. I hate it, but she's becoming less and less clear to me all the time."

Tears filled Lorelai's eyes and she snuggled closer. "Oh, Luke," she breathed. "What do you remember?"

"Bits and pieces," Luke murmured. "I was so young. How much do you remember before you were ten?"

Lorelai tightened her grip on his stomach. "Some things," she whispered. "It's hazy, though."

"I just wish she could have been there," Luke admitted. "For everything. To see my track meets, to give me advice about Rachel leaving, to meet you and Rory and April. God, she would have been so excited to have Victoria here."

"She's part of this, Luke," Lorelai reminded him. "I know it's not the same, but Victoria's linked to her."

"I failed her." Luke said it so quietly that Lorelai wasn't sure she heard him properly. After a moment, she pushed herself off of his shoulder and searched his expression. Fluent in reading what his eyes reflected, she saw nothing but regret and pain staring back at her.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded.

"I failed her," Luke repeated, this time louder. "She raised me to know love and compassion. She wanted me to be happy and enjoy life. That's one of the things I do remember, and I failed her on every level."

"Stop," Lorelai commanded. "That's not true, not any of it."

He shook his head slightly and looked away from her. "It is," he said. "I don't even know what you're doing here. You deserve so much better."

"Stop!" Lorelai was close to shouting now. "Luke, don't say that! I love our life, I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"I should have stayed the guy who poured your coffee," he muttered. "You wouldn't be stuck here, you'd have been able to sell the Dragonfly and travel the world like you wanted to when you were younger. I hold you back."

Lorelai was silent, processing everything that he was saying with shock and hurt. "Do you really wish that?" she whispered. "That none of this had happened?"

"My dad shut down," Luke replied. "After my mom died, he shut down and my sister lost it. We all failed her. She would have wanted us to stick together, but we just all collapsed into ourselves. I became the grumpy diner owner and dragged you down with me. You'd be so much better without me."

Lorelai stared at him, trying to fight the tears that were threatening to fall, and after a moment she shook her head. "I can't do this," she announced before she pushed herself off of the bed and strode towards the door. She slammed it shut behind her and leaned against the wall in the hallway, gasping for air as she processed everything Luke had just said.

She wasn't sure what had overcome him since this afternoon. Gone was her affectionate husband who was able to make her laugh and feel special. In his place, was the shell of a man who'd once shut her out, who'd made her feel cheap and abandoned. This was the Luke who'd ignored her and pushed her away. She refused to become broken again, refused to spend hours upon lonely hours wondering what she'd done wrong.

A loud wail came from the nursery, and Lorelai quickly wiped her eyes on her sleeve, reminding herself that it wasn't just her and Luke anymore. She pushed herself off of the wall and stepped into Victoria's room, offering the baby as much of a smile as she could.

"Just making sure your lungs still work?" Lorelai asked as she leaned over the crib. "Come snuggle with Mommy."

She sat down in the rocking chair and sighed as Victoria pulled at her t-shirt. They'd introduced her to solid foods two weeks ago, and Lorelai had been trying to wean her to morning feedings. But Victoria was clearly wanting to nurse, and Lorelai's breasts were aching. She lifted her shirt and situated Victoria in her arms, sighing as she felt her daughter latch on and nurse eagerly.

"I thought you were weaning her."

Lorelai looked up to see Luke standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. She turned her attention back to Victoria and muttered, "What do you care?"

"Lorelai," he sighed, stepping closer. "You know I care."

"You just wish you didn't," she stated flatly, not meeting his gaze. "You want to be the guy who pours the coffee? Go ahead. The door's right there. I've done this alone before, I can do it again."

"I'm sorry."

"Not now."

"Lorelai, please."

"Not. Now." Lorelai's voice was soft, but it was filled with more anger than he'd ever heard from her, and he nodded as he looked down at Victoria.

"Fine."

"I'd like some privacy."

Luke's eyes widened. "What?"

"I'd like to feed my daughter in private."

"She's my daughter too."

"Luke. I can't even look at you right now. Please just give me a minute to finish feeding her."

Realizing exactly what a hole he'd dug himself into, Luke raised his hands in front of him in surrender. He turned towards the door and stepped through it, pulling it closed behind him. Alone with Victoria, Lorelai looked down at her daughter and promised, "I'm not running, I'm processing. I promise."

Her eyes landed on the picture of Luke as a little boy, dressed in his baseball uniform and flanked by his parents. She took a deep breath and traced a finger over Victoria's arm, willing herself to calm down and let Luke explain himself to her. His words had hurt her, but she had no idea what it felt like to lose a parent. She had to give him a chance to explain himself. They'd worked too hard for a few insensitive comments to destroy what they'd built. She'd let him explain himself and then explain to him why his words had been so painful for her to listen to.

Ten minutes later, Lorelai stepped out of the room and rolled her eyes when she saw Luke leaning against the wall across from her. "Is she okay?" he asked.

"She's fine, she was just hungry," Lorelai said, brushing past him and walking down the stairs. She could feel his presence behind her, but didn't acknowledge him as she walked into the kitchen and began to prepare coffee.

"I'm sorry," Luke said softly, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the counter and looked at her from the corner of his eye.

Lorelai didn't say anything as she poured the water into its compartment and flipped the machine on. "Did you mean it?" she whispered, not turning to look at him.

"Which part?" he asked.

"Any of it."

Luke swallowed hard and ran a hand over his face. "Some of it," he said.

With tear filled eyes, Lorelai met his gaze. "I thought you were happy," she whispered. "Am I that self absorbed that I can't even tell when my own husband is miserable?"

"I am happy," Luke insisted.

"But you don't think we should be here," Lorelai said. "You think that you should be at the diner and that I should have left Stars Hollow."

"I didn't mean it like that," Luke muttered.

"That's how it sounded."

"I just…I worry sometimes," Luke admitted quietly.

"About me?" Lorelai asked. "About us?"

"Yeah."

Lorelai stared down at the counter. "Did I do something?" she asked. "To make you think that I want something different? Because I don't, Luke. I want you, I want this life."

"You didn't do anything wrong," he promised. "You're amazing, Lorelai. You're beautiful and funny and successful. You can talk to anyone about anything and you deserve everything. I just don't know why you settled for me. If it weren't for me, you'd be out there in the world, just like Rory is. I love you, I love our life, but sometimes I think I should have been the better man, I should have let you go so you could have had more."

Lorelai backed away from him, shaking her head slightly. "I can't believe you're saying this," she whispered. "I…I don't think I can hear any more."

"Lorelai…"

"Stop!" she shouted, turning on her heel and striding towards the front door. "Don't say anything else, Luke, I can't hear anymore."

He followed her onto the front porch, but didn't say anything as he watched her lean against the railing. Her face shone with tears in the warm summer night, but he didn't move to comfort her. She needed a minute to regroup and he would respect that.

"Are you going to leave?" Lorelai whispered, her voice choking on the word.

"What?" Luke asked, his head snapping towards her. "No, of course not."

"Do you want me to leave?"

Her voice was timid and afraid, and he reached out to brush her hair over her shoulder. "No."

She turned to look at him, reading his expression in the darkness of the evening. "Then what do you want?" she asked. "All this talk about being a better man and stepping aside and dragging me down…what does it mean?"

"It means that I'm incredibly grateful that you're here, that we're sharing our lives together," Luke murmured. "It means that sometimes, I have old insecurities that pop up and ask me how I got so damn lucky that an incredible woman like you would choose me."

"I know what it's like to be without you, Luke," Lorelai whispered. "In more ways than one, and I never want to experience that again. Ever, in any form."

"Any form?" Luke asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I lost you a long time before that blow out fight," Lorelai whispered. "You were there, but you weren't yourself. We've talked about this, you know how horrible I felt leading up to that. I hated being apart from you that year, but having you be the shell of the man I loved was just as bad. I made the mistake of not saying anything then, but I'm not going to do that again. Right now, I'm not looking at my husband. I'm looking at the robot who replaced him and made me feel like an unwanted nuisance. Tell me how I can get my husband back, because I need him here."

Luke sighed when he saw her standing before him, determined and stubborn, but fear resting in her eyes. He held out his hand to her, but she crossed her arms over her chest, stubbornly not breaking eye contact as she stood firmly in front of him.

"Let's go inside," Luke requested.

Without a word, Lorelai walked inside and through the hallway to the kitchen. She poured herself a cup of coffee and then turned to Luke, who gestured to the couch. She sat down beside him, pulling her legs under her and taking a long sip of coffee. "Talk to me," she whispered. "Please, Luke. We had such a good time at the baseball game today. At least I thought we did."

"We did," Luke confirmed. "It was nice, to share that with you."

"I thought so too," Lorelai said, tilting her head to the side as she examined him. "So where did all these insecurities come from? This isn't you. Not anymore."

Luke swallowed hard and ran a hand over his face. "I guess it was you asking about my parents," he finally admitted. "It got me to thinking."

"I know you don't like to talk about them, I'm sorry I brought it up," Lorelai whispered. "But we've talked about them before, and it hasn't warranted this self deprecating behavior."

"You asked me if my parents liked Rachel," Luke murmured. "And it got me to thinking about how my mom never got to see me grow up. She missed everything, and I realized that all the things she taught me, all that she wanted for me, none of it happened."

"Like what?" Lorelai asked. "She didn't want you to have a fantastic business? Or a home or three kids who you love and support no matter what? Or a wife who loves you so much that she was willing to beg you to stay with her if that's what it took to keep you from leaving?"

"Leaving never crossed my mind," Luke said quickly. "I promise."

"But you think your mom wouldn't have wanted you to have this?" Lorelai asked. "What do you think you've done that's failed her?"

"I spent years alone, Lorelai," Luke said. "Years. Being the angry town grump, not acting on my feelings for you and yelling at anyone who walked through the door. I had a kid, and I wasn't around to help raise her. I finally got everything I wanted, and I pushed it all away. She'd have been so disappointed in me."

Lorelai shook her head. "I thought you'd forgiven yourself for that," she whispered. "I did."

"I just don't know how I was so dumb," Luke muttered. "There was one time, when I was a kid, I got a bad grade on a science test. I must have been really little, but I was afraid to tell her and my dad. My mom found the test in my backpack and I started apologizing, and she just told me that she didn't care about science grades. All she wanted was for me to be kind and happy, and then she'd have done her job as a mother."

"Speaking as a fellow mother, I can concur," Lorelai said. "She sounds pretty great, Luke. I'm sorry you didn't get more time with her."

"I want to show you something," Luke said, standing and reaching for her hand. Lorelai looked at him suspiciously, but then took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. Luke dragged her towards the library and to the far corner of the room. Pointing to the floor, he said, "This was where I sat, during her funeral. Her favorite book was there, Jane Eyre, and I just sat here the entire time and stared at the book, thinking that she'd never pick up that book again. It's horrible, I know, but something snapped inside of me today. I just kept thinking about how upset she'd be with how much of my life I've wasted."

Lorelai stepped closer and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I can't imagine what that must have been like," she whispered.

"I don't want you to think I don't want to be here," Luke said. "I love our life, Lorelai, and I'm so glad that you didn't sell the Dragonfly. I'd still be so miserable if you'd left Stars Hollow. There would never have been anyone else."

"I know," Lorelai whispered. She gently turned him to the mantel, where a picture of Rory, April, and Victoria had been placed in the center. "Look at this, Luke. Look at our kids. Victoria and April wouldn't even exist without you, and Rory certainly wouldn't know how to ice skate or build a jewelry box or make a proper cup of coffee if it wasn't for you. Your mom would be so proud to see that. Maybe you took a little longer than you'd have liked, but there's no way your parents wouldn't be proud of who you are. I know you miss them, and I hate that I'll never be able to take that hurt away. It's okay to get sad sometimes, but please don't ever doubt us. I will never, ever regret being here with you."

He sighed as he sank onto the floor, leaning his back against the brick hearth in front of the fireplace. "Most of the time I don't think that," he said as she sat down beside her. "I don't know what came over me."

Lorelai stared down at her hands as she whispered, "It really hurt, hearing you say that," she admitted quietly. "Maybe you were caught up in the moment, and you say you didn't mean it, but the fact that you thought even for a second our lives would be better apart scares me. I don't ever want you to be just the guy who pours my coffee again. That's not enough. At least it's not for me."

"It's not for me either," Luke murmured. "I spent a lot of years being the man behind the counter and I don't want to go back to that."

"Then why would you say it?" Lorelai asked quietly.

"The pessimist in me coming out, I guess," Luke murmured. "I haven't thought about it in a long time. I know you're happy here and that you love me and Victoria and April. But sometimes…I don't know, it's still unbelievable to me that you'd settle for someone like me."

"Luke," Lorelai whispered, turning to him and kneeling beside him. She turned him to face her and rested her hands on his shoulders. "Listen to me. I didn't settle for you. I walked away from you and tried to move on, but I couldn't. Not because I felt obligated, not because you're the better man. I couldn't move on because I missed you. I didn't settle for someone like you. I chose you. I fought hard to be with _you_ because of who you are. I get to see the real you. The kind, funny, generous man that your mom wanted you to become. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you let me see that side of you, that you changed everything in your life for me. I know that I'm self centered and joke around, but I do recognize how much you've changed and grown."

"I just have dark days, you know?"

"I know," Lorelai murmured. She ran her hands down his arms to reach for his hands, lacing his fingers through her own. "And that's okay. But please, just don't doubt our marriage. Don't doubt how much I want to be here or how much I love you. If you need time or space to miss your parents, I'll respect that. But I won't let you push me away again. We've come to far for that."

Luke sighed and met her gaze. "Deal," he said. "I'm really sorry."

She shook her head and reached a hand to stroke his cheek. "You can make it up to me by making breakfast in the morning."

With a small smile, Luke turned his head to press a kiss to her palm. "Done," he promised.

Lorelai stood and tugged on his hand, pulling him up with her. "You're not a failure, Luke," she promised. "We've all made mistakes, but you're the last person in the world who should feel that way. Your parents would be so happy that you have this life. You've provided me with the love I've always craved, the acceptance and unconditional affection that I never had from anyone but Rory. You've brought two amazing kids into this world and all but adopted another pretty great girl, in my unbiased opinion. And like it or not, you're loved by the whole town. You used to be cranky and put on an act, but you'd do anything for the people you love, and that's the kind of man your parents would have wanted you to become. I can attest to the fact that life without you is downright boring."

Luke inhaled deeply and reached down to brush her hair out of her eyes. "I love you," he said sincerely.

"I love you too." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, then pulled back slightly. "No more scary doubts?"

"Only thought that scares me at the moment is that our kid may have gotten your appetite," Luke teased.

She giggled. "As the provider of her food, I think that's a distinct possibility," she said.

Luke sighed dramatically. "I'm going to have to sell the boat just to keep you two fed," he grumbled.

"But we're so pretty," Lorelai chirped.

"That you are," Luke confirmed. He leaned down to kiss her deeply, then rested his forehead against hers. "I'm so sorry for what I said."

"I know," she promised, wrapping her arms around his neck. She kissed him hungrily, smiling against his lips as he backed her against the desk. His lips trailed to her jaw, and she tilted her head to the side to give him better access. "Trying to seduce me in front of the books?"

He raised his head to look at her, his hands finding purchase on her hips. "That okay?" he asked.

Lorelai hopped onto the desk and pulled him close. "I won't tell if you won't," she stated.

With that, Luke cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. He poured himself into the kiss, forgetting his doubts and inhibitions as he allowed himself to get lost in the wonder that was Lorelai.

XXXXX

A week later, Luke swung around the counter in the diner and answered the ringing phone, tucking it under his ear with a hurried, "Luke's," as he began to change the coffee filter.

"What a welcome home," a familiar voice came over the line. "I assume my mother is there as well?"

"Rory?" Luke asked turning to the counter where Lorelai was devouring a burger. "Hey, we didn't think you'd be in yet."

"You thought wrong, Daddy Luke."

"Come on over, I'll cook you guys dinner," Luke said, and Lorelai waved her left hand in the air pointing at her engagement ring frantically. Rolling his eyes, he added, "If you don't have a ring yet, your mother probably won't let you inside though."

Rory giggled. "I'll be allowed to pass through the hallowed gates of Luke's diner," she confirmed. "We'll be there soon."

Luke hung up the phone and turned to Lorelai, placing his hands flat on the counter in front of him. "They're on their way over," he informed her.

"She better have her ring," Lorelai said. "Seriously, who proposes without a ring?"

Luke raised his eyebrows at her and nodded towards the table by the window. "I don't recall you having a ring," he stated.

"Uh huh, and how well did that turn out?" Lorelai asked.

"Pretty well," Luke said, turning to the stool beside here where Victoria was strapped into a portable high chair seat. "We got her out of it."

"No, we got her out of the marriage that resulted in you proposing with a pretty ring," Lorelai countered. "All we got out of my proposal was a renovated house and two broken hearts."

"Hey," Luke murmured, leaning his elbows on the counter so he was eye level with her. "Don't do that."

She shrugged as she popped her last fry into her mouth. "You're not the only one with demons that pop up sometimes," she reminded him.

Luke patted her hand before he turned to reach for the coffee pot. As he refilled her cup, he speculated, "We'll just have to keep fighting them back."

"Guess so," Lorelai said. "Do you have a spoon? Victoria threw another one on the floor."

Luke handed the spoon over, and Lorelai turned to their daughter. "Okay, baby girl, just try the squash. Daddy made it especially for you!"

As Luke watched Lorelai feed Victoria, April appeared beside him and informed him, "The napkin dispensers are all fully loaded."

"Dirty," Lorelai giggled, earning herself identical eye rolls from father and daughter. "Tough crowd," she muttered to Victoria.

"It loses its effect when you make the same joke over and over," April stated, and Luke looked down at her with a nod of agreement.

"It's good to have you back, kid," he stated.

"Good to be back," April said, reaching for a dish rag and beginning to wipe the counter down.

"Wow, this is weird," Lorelai said.

"What's weird?" Luke asked over his shoulder as he checked the coffee filter.

Lorelai watched with an amused smile as April moved methodically down the counter, just as Luke had done for years. "Must be in the DNA," she said. Turning to Victoria, she said, "Watch your big sister, that will be you some day."

"What the hell are you blabbering about?" Luke asked.

"April's you," Lorelai said, pointing to the other end of the counter where the teenager was flipping through an order pad.

"She is not."

"Uh, yes she is," Lorelai said. April continued to flip through the book with one hand while she tossed the towel over her shoulder with the other, and Lorelai turned to look at Luke with a triumphant smile. "See?"

Luke pointed towards the door. "Hey, look, it's Rory," he said, knowing the words would distract her.

Lorelai dropped Victoria's spoon on the tray and hurriedly unbuckled her from the chair. "Here, take her," she said, thrusting the baby across the counter into his arms. Luke quickly pulled Victoria into his arms, and watched as Lorelai bounded out of the diner. She hurried across the street and embraced Rory in the town square, the two women jumping excitedly together. Luke watched as Lorelai grabbed Rory's left hand, and the two continued to bounce excitedly. Ethan stood a few feet away, hands shoved in his pockets, and Luke felt a sense of understanding wash over him. He'd been in that position more times than he could count.

"I hope you're not tired," Luke muttered to his daughter as he settled her on his hip. "Your mother and sister will be yammering all evening long."

"How long are they staying?" April asked as she appeared beside him.

"A couple days," Luke replied. "I don't know if there's a solid plan."

"I wish we saw Rory more."

"Me too, kid," Luke sighed. Lorelai looped her arm through Rory's as the girls walked towards the diner. Ethan trailed behind them, and April smirked up at her father.

"You do realize that Rory's marrying a younger version of you?" she asked.

Luke shot her a look. "Did Lorelai tell you to say that?" he asked.

"No, I can draw conclusions on my own," April replied. "It will be nice to finally have a brother. I've always wanted one."

Rory broke apart from Lorelai and ran up the steps to the diner, pushing the door open before she hurried around the counter. "Hi, Luke!" she said, giving him an affectionate hug. "Hey, baby sister, remember me?"

Victoria smiled and kicked her legs wildly, causing Luke to smile. "I think that means yes," he said. "Take her."

"Hang on, let me say hi to April," Rory said, pushing past him to April. The two embraced for a moment, and then Rory beamed as April hunched over her left hand.

"Pretty girls, pretty rings, it's a match made in heaven," Lorelai's voice rang out, and Luke turned to see her claiming her seat at the counter.

"Hi, Luke," Ethan said with a nod as he sat down beside her.

"Ethan, good to see you," Luke said. He shifted Victoria into his left arm and then held his hand out for Ethan to shake.

"Okay, give me my sister," Rory said, pulling Victoria into her arms. The baby squealed as Rory hugged her tightly.

"How come _she's_ allowed behind the counter?" Lorelai whined.

Luke sighed and looked at the ceiling. "I'm not having this argument with you again."

"But I'm the wife!"

"Doesn't make you a paid employee."

"Neither are they."

"Yeah, but I'm legally responsible for them, I can't sue myself if they get hurt."

Lorelai frowned. "You won't be alive to do that if anything happens to them because I'll already have killed you."

Luke sighed and cut a slice of pie. He dropped it unceremoniously in front of his wife and pointed to a table in the corner. "Take this and eat it over there," he said. Tapping Rory on the shoulder he said, "Go sit with your mom. I'll have your burgers out in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Daddy Luke," Rory said, bouncing Victoria on her hip as she walked around the counter towards Ethan. She rested her hand on his shoulder as she passed, and Luke tried to be subtle as he saw the light reflecting off of her left hand.

"You know you're not very discreet," April informed him.

Luke rolled his eyes and turned to the kitchen. "Just sit down," he ordered.

"Hey, Cool Hand, are you coming?" Lorelai called across the room.

"Tell her I'll be over in a minute," Luke said to April before he disappeared into the kitchen to cook Rory and Ethan their dinner.

Half an hour later, he was seated in the corner table beside Lorelai. Victoria was seated in his lap, happily chewing on the ear of a stuffed giraffe. April was scraping the last of her ketchup with a French fry, and Rory and Ethan were each digging into a slice of apple pie. As Lorelai sipped her coffee, she leaned into Luke and murmured, "Feels pretty good, to have them all here."

"Yeah, it does," Luke confirmed.

"Oh, my god, look at how perfect you look!"

Luke cringed as he heard Babette's raspy voice from behind him. With his back to the door, he hadn't noticed her enter.

"You dolls are just the most adorable family I've ever seen!" Babette cried. "Morey! Have you ever seen such a perfect family?" She didn't wait for a response as she turned to Ethan. "You must be the boyfriend, good to meet you. You take care of our girl here, because we've got a whole town who will destroy you if you don't."

"I've heard," Ethan said, an amused smile coming over his face.

"I've got to call Patty, she can't miss this," Babette said, reaching into her purse.

"Outside!" Luke barked, pointing towards the door.

Babette frowned as she held the phone up in the air. "Hasn't that rule been changed yet?" she asked.

"Never."

Looking past him to Lorelai, Babette said, "Doll, you promised you'd get him to allow cell phones in the diner by July."

"You what?" Luke asked, his voice rising as he turned to his wife.

"Oh, this should be good," Rory said, eagerly sipping at her coffee. "It's been too long since I've seen a good Luke rant."

"Ex nay on the ules-ray," Lorelai muttered to Babette.

"Oops, sorry, doll," Babette said as her eyes widened. "I'll just…go take this phone call outside."

"Lorelai." Luke's voice was full of warning as he looked at her sternly.

Lorelai tiled her head to the side as she looked at him. "Hi," she cooed.

"Explain."

"Explain what?"

"The cell phone thing."

"I think that makes it pretty clear." Lorelai pointed to the sign hung behind the counter. "If not, maybe you should take it down."

"I am _not_ going to change that rule."

"Luke!"

"It's my diner, I can do whatever the hell I want," Luke continued, his face beginning to turn red.

"Oh, that's two shades of red," Rory commented.

"If I don't want people constantly chattering on those damn things, then that's what's going to happen," Luke continued.

"April, take your sister before your father needs to start gesticulating," Lorelai requested.

"And why do you care about changing the rules anyway, it's not like you ever listened!" Luke replied, his arms waving through the air. "You've got your own business, you can't tell people that I'm going to change how I run _my_ business just because we're married."

"Uh huh, quick question," Lorelai piped up. " _Why_ aren't we allowed to use our cell phones in the diner?"

"Because I said so."

"Uh huh, and yet I recall a time, many moons ago, when your _wife_ was allowed to use her cell phone in the diner because she was a lawyer," Lorelai said. "Care to explain why the rules were different for Nicole?"

"I'll explain later," Rory muttered to Ethan, her eyes filled with glee as she watched Luke's face tighten with irritation.

"She was not my wife."

"Yes, she was."

"Not then."

"But she was eventually."

"Why are we arguing about this?"

"Because you let her use her cell phone, which means you should let everyone use their cell phone," Lorelai commented.

"That's not how it works."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not!"

"Oh, that makes eleven!" Rory announced.

"Come on, Luke, who does it hurt by having people occasionally make a tiny phone call in the diner?" Lorelai asked.

"It's rude," Luke replied. "Before you know it, people are in here talking on their phones when they're trying to order or setting up their computers and listening to music and all of a sudden it's a free for all."

"How about a trial run?" Lorelai suggested. "You take the cell phone sign down for one week and see if the world keeps spinning."

"No."

Lorelai offered him a bright smile as she twirled her fingers through the ends of her hair. "Luke…"

"Don't do it," he said, knowing exactly what her next move would be. "It's not going to work."

"Pay attention, this is an important skill," Rory nudged April.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lorelai said as she stood, letting a curl fall before she twirled it around her finger again.

"Don't do the hair flip," Luke said, pointing an accusatory finger at her.

Lorelai smiled, took a step closer, and tossed her head back, flipping her hair over her shoulder with a flick of her wrist. "Please, Luke, just for a week?" she said, her voice soft and her mouth forming into a pout.

Luke let out a frustrated breath and crossed his arms over his chest. "One week," he grumbled, then turned on his heel and stomped into the kitchen.

Turning back to the table, Lorelai gave an exaggerated bow. "That, ladies and gentleman, is the power of the hair flip," she announced.

"Wow," April said, her eyes wide. "I never thought he'd give in on that one."

"That cell phone sign has been up since I was twelve," Rory replied. "I wonder if it's going to come down."

"Oh, it will come down," Lorelai said. "One time, I took it down and hid it in the storage room. Luke didn't talk to me for a week."

"Oh, that was the week that we had to go to Al's Pancake World for Mexican food," Rory recalled. "I couldn't eat nachos for a year after that."

"Clearly you've gotten over that," Ethan muttered.

Rory ignored him and leaned across the table to her mother. "What are the odds that he'll make us tater tots when we get home?" she asked.

"We'll tag team him," Lorelai stated. "You'll give him the Rory face, I'll flip my hair, and we'll make April stand next to us with Victoria for good measure. He might even do it without complaining."

Rory smiled as she sipped her coffee. "It's good to be home," she said.

XXXXX

"Hey, what are you doing?" Luke asked later that evening as he climbed the stairs to see Lorelai hovering outside of Victoria's room.

"Shh!" she hissed, grabbing his arm and pulling him closer. "Rory's putting Victoria down."

"So?" Luke whispered. "She knows what she's doing, we've left her with Victoria before."

"Not that," Lorelai hissed. "Listen."

Luke leaned closer to the partially closed door, listening to Rory's soft voice filter into the hallway.

"…and the Dragonfly wouldn't even exist without our dad. He gave our mom the money she needed to make ends meet, and they weren't even dating at the time. So not only do you have them to thank for this house and all the stuff inside, but also for the fact that you'll be an inn kid. It's not a bad life, hanging out at the inn. Especially since Mom has a great collection of books there. You'll probably spend a lot of time at the diner too, which is just as good. I'm sure our dad will give you your own space to study when you're old enough. Somehow there was always an empty table waiting for me after school, no matter how busy the rush was."

Lorelai nudged Luke's arm with her elbow and offered him a warm smile before she turned her attention back to the room.

"You're a really lucky girl, Victoria," Rory was saying. "All three of us are, but you…you're the one who gets both of them, together, from the beginning. I wish I was here more to stay with you and watch you grow up, but I promise I'll be the best sister I can be from Boston. Plus, you're getting a brother now too, which I'd imagine is pretty exciting. Ethan and I will make sure that you'll come visit a lot. We can go to the Museum of Science and the Harvard bookstore, and have lots of fun, just the three of us. Maybe we'll never live together like most sisters, but I'll always be here for you. I'd give you some secrets about how to deal with our crazy parents, but I know they're standing outside the door listening right now, so we'll have to save that for another time."

With a guilty smile, Lorelai peered around the door to see Rory sitting in the rocking chair, Victoria almost asleep in her arms. "Sorry," Lorelai whispered as she tip toed into the room, Luke behind her.

"It's okay, you're not exactly stealthy," Rory replied.

"Do you want me to put her down?" Lorelai asked.

"No, I'll do it," Rory said. She stood and walked to the crib, resting Victoria on her stomach before she pulled her blanket over her. "Night, baby sister. We'll talk more tomorrow."

Lorelai smiled as she watched Rory lean over the railing to kiss Victoria's cheek. She leaned into Luke and felt his arm slip around her waist, his hand coming to rest on her hip. When Rory had pulled the railing of the crib up, the three of them walked quietly out of the room, Luke pulling the door closed behind them.

"You're a good sister, hon," Lorelai murmured. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too," Rory sighed. "I wish I was around more for her."

"You're around plenty," Luke said as they walked down the stairs. "She recognized you when you got to the diner."

"True," Rory conceded. As they walked into the kitchen, she smirked at Ethan's furrowed brow. "How's Scrabble going?"

April beamed proudly from her spot across the table from Ethan. "Tranquilize put me ahead by 40 points," she announced.

"Must be that Chilton education," Rory deduced. She sat down beside them and asked, "Can I join?"

"No," Ethan and April said together.

"Why not?"

"Because we're already halfway through a game," Ethan explained.

"So?" Rory asked. "I'm the reigning Scrabble champion in this house."

"Not for long," April said as she watched Ethan arrange his pieces on the holder.

"Excuse me, I held the championship title for many a year," Rory said. Lowering her voice, she added, "Not like I had much competition."

Lorelai gasped. "Hey, I'm the one who taught you how to play!" she defended.

"No, you're the one who handed me the bag of tiles and told me to make up my own words," Rory replied. "Mia's the one who taught me the real rules."

"Traitor," Lorelai muttered.

"Come on, let me play!" Rory said, tapping Ethan's arm. "I'll tell you what word you can make."

"I can do it."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm a grown man, I can make my own Scrabble words," Ethan huffed. "I did graduate from college."

"Yeah, Harvard," Rory rolled her eyes. "Yale won't let you graduate unless you're able to make Scrabble words worth at least fifty points."

"I'm trying to focus," Ethan reminded her.

Rory zipped her lips closed and folded her arms over her chest. Lorelai glanced at Luke out of the corner of her eye and notice him suppressing a smile of his own. He still refused to acknowledge it, but she knew that he could see the similarities between himself and their future son-in-law.

Stepping closer, Lorelai looped her arm through his and murmured, "Think we should tell them that you hold the record for dirty words Scrabble?"

Luke shook his head as he looked down at her. "Let's keep that to ourselves," he murmured.

"Fine, but I'm still impressed that you managed to win," Lorelai replied. "I am the queen of dirty jokes."

"Must have rubbed off on me," Luke said, then winced. "Dirty, I know, you don't have to say it."

"Ruin my fun," Lorelai sighed. Turning back to the table, she giggled at the scene before her.

"That's not a word!" April insisted.

"It is too, it's the plural of platypus," Ethan insisted.

"No, it's not, the plural of platypus is platypuses," April shot back.

"I think she's right," Rory said. "A lot of people think the plural is platypi, but according to its original Greek roots, the plural should be platypuses."

"Let's look it up," Ethan challenged, standing and striding towards the door.

"If we're right, will you let me play?" Rory asked, following him towards the library.

"No way!" April called as she ran after them. "You can't join in the middle of the game, it'll throw all the statistics off!"

Their voices grew muffled as they reached the library, and Luke tugged on Lorelai's arm to pull her closer. "At least they're arguing about intelligent things," he speculated.

"How we got such nerdy kids, I'll never understand," Lorelai sighed.

"Hopefully Victoria will take after her sisters," Luke stated.

"Well, she is pretty, so she can always get through life easily," Lorelai replied. "I'm kidding!" she added when Luke glared at her.

"I hope so."

"I am." She kissed him, then nodded to the Scrabble board. "What do you think they'd do if we rearranged the board so it was a bunch of made up words?"

"I don't think even the hair flip would get you out of that," Luke said.

"Duh, that only works on you," Lorelai said. "Come on, it'll be funny!"

Luke held his hands up in front of his chest. "No way, I'm not letting you pull me into this," he said. "I know our kids, they'd find some way to retaliate, and I don't want to be part of it."

"You're no fun," Lorelai sighed.

"So I've heard."

"I love having Rory home."

"Me too," Luke said, reaching out to twirl his fingers through her hair.

"Ethan's starting to get more comfortable with us."

"I'm glad."

Lorelai smiled up at him. "He's like the son you never had, huh?" she asked.

Luke shrugged. "Closest thing I've ever had," he said. "Besides Jess."

"He's good for Rory," Lorelai murmured. "They'll be happy."

"I hope so."

Ethan stormed into the kitchen then, followed closely by Rory and April. "You'd think a fancy school like Harvard would make sure their graduates knew how to make a word plural," Rory said, her eyes sparkling.

"Would you just sit down?" he asked, pointing to a chair beside him.

"No thank you, I've been proven right," Rory said. "That's all I needed from this interaction."

"Then stop talking and let me focus," Ethan said, reevaluating the tiles before him.

Rory turned to Luke and Lorelai with a bright smile. "I was right," she announced proudly.

Lorelai laughed. "Gilmores always are," she said. She wrapped her arm through Rory's and guided her to the living room. "Let's let the siblings bicker it out, come talk to us."

As Luke followed them out of the kitchen, he heard April state, "You do realize that the statistical probability of you breaking Rory's record is incredibly low."

In the living room, Rory was settled beside Lorelai on the couch, and Luke sat down in the armchair beside it. "It's good to have you both here, sweets," Lorelai murmured.

"I'm glad to be home," Rory said, twisting her engagement ring around her finger. "I wanted to thank both of you, for helping me through the little freak out I had after Ethan proposed. It meant a lot to me."

"We're your parents, Rory, it's what we do," Luke said softly.

Rory nodded slowly. "I know," she said. She glanced at Luke for a moment before she said, "I wanted to tell you both in person that I…had lunch with Dad last week."

Luke tensed and Lorelai sighed, glancing up at the ceiling for a moment. There was a moment of awkward silence before Rory continued.

"Please just hear me out. I know I said that I don't need him, and that I consider think of _you_ as my dad, Luke. None of that changed. I told him all of that. I told him that I didn't expect anything from him, that I have two parents who are supportive and love me no matter what. I told him about my job at Harvard and that I was getting married. I just felt like he should know."

Her eyes were wide and apologetic, as if afraid of how they would react, and Lorelai offered Rory a slight smile. "Hon, we're not going to get mad," she said. "If you want to see him, that's your decision. You don't need our permission."

"I know, it just felt like you should know," Rory whispered. "He wasn't exactly receptive about the news."

"What did he say?" Lorelai asked.

Rory shrugged. "He said that he wanted to meet Ethan, that I should make sure I was ready," she said. "I told him that I can here to talk to you guys before I answered Ethan, and he got…I don't know, defensive, I guess."

"Defensive how?" Luke asked wearily.

"Nothing bad, he just wondered why I didn't come to him," Rory said. "But I was plenty prepared with answers for that question. He's never been reliable, and he only was there when we didn't need him. He asked about you."

"Of course he did," Lorelai muttered. "What did he ask?"

Rory shrugged. "He did the math, figured you'd given birth by now," she said. "He was asking about the baby and you and Luke. I didn't tell him anything."

"You can tell him whatever you want, Rory, it's not going to change our life," Lorelai said.

"I know, but it was just so frustrating," Rory said. "I'm his daughter, we were seeing each other for the first time in over a year, and I was giving him this huge, life changing news. He responds by asking about you. Not to sound selfish, but it shouldn't have been about you."

"You're right," Lorelai muttered. "It always should have been about you, Rory. For me, it was for a long time. I wish I could say the same about your dad."

"It just really made me think about how lucky we are to have you, Luke," Rory said quietly. "I mean, I showed up here unexpectedly, crying my eyes out, and you just let me cry. You handed Victoria to me and made me coffee and gave me advice without even thinking twice about it. _You_ were the dad I needed in the moment."

"It wasn't a big deal," Luke said.

"Maybe not to you, but having that fatherly support is still pretty new to me," Rory said. "Thanks."

"You don't have to thank me," Luke replied. "I'm here, Rory, I'm always here."

"I know," Rory smiled slightly. She glanced at Lorelai and decided to lighten the mood a little. Clearing her throat, she asked, "Anyone have advice for how to tell Grandma and Grandpa about this at Friday Night Dinner tomorrow?"

Lorelai tapped her finger against her chin. "Oh, I've got plenty of experience with engagements," she said. "Let's see, back when you were just a bun in the oven, they forced Christopher to propose and I said no, so we can't use that experience. You could try the whole 'avoid telling them altogether' strategy like I did when we first got engaged, but you've got that pretty ring will give you away like mine did. Now, you could wait until after you're already married to tell them, but that didn't necessarily work too well for me either."

"How about you just tell them?" Luke suggested from the armchair, cutting off Lorelai's rant.

"That did seem to work pretty well, the last time I told them I was engaged," Lorelai nodded. "But they were also drinking nitwit juice, so that might have tipped the scales into our favor."

"We'll be there to help," Luke said.

Lorelai nodded. "Yes, and you can hold the pretty baby when you tell them," she said. "They're much less likely to get angry if she's around."

"I'm out of practice," Rory admitted. "I'll have to find some good topics of conversation to use as buffers."

"I hate to break it to you, babe, but if you tell your grandparents that you're going to marry a Harvard man, they may actually like me better than you," Lorelai said. "Although, it's also incredibly likely that it's my fault you're not marrying a Yale man, so we may be in for a recreation of the spaghetti night."

Rory winced, remembering the worst fight they'd ever had with the elder Gilmores. "Maybe I'll just take my ring off and not invite them to the wedding," she said.

"Good luck with that," Lorelai said. "I tried it that way too, but Emily Gilmore worked around that."

"When?" Luke asked with a frown.

Lorelai cleared her throat and glanced at Rory. "Max," she said. "I didn't exactly disclose my engagement to him right away."

"Or at all," Rory piped up. "Sookie told Grandma."

"Oh," Luke said, rubbing a hand over his neck. "Guess we'll have to deal with him again soon."

"Why?" Rory frowned.

"April's in Shakespeare this year," Lorelai said. "I told her that you probably still have all your notes, but she might not want to borrow them, considering you got a D."

Rory glared at her. "On one paper," she said.

"Well, you also hit a deer on your way to that test, so your notes are probably cursed."

"The deer hit me."

"Semantics," Lorelai waved a hand. Turning back to Luke, she said, "I will be a perfect lady and remove myself from the equation."

"How generous of you," Luke said sarcastically. "Can't wait to talk to that guy alone."

Lorelai shrugged. "I think we're past everything," she said. "If it's that big a deal, you could call Chilton. Max can't be the only Shakespeare teacher at that school, maybe you can transfer April to another teacher."

"We'll worry about it later," Luke said.

"Yes, let's focus on tomorrow," Rory requested. "Are they really going to be mad?"

Lorelai sighed. "I don't think so," she said. "They love you, Rory. We are talking about Richard and Emily, so there's not going to be a champagne toast right away, but I think they'll come around."

"Just don't let Ethan go golfing with your grandfather," Luke piped up.

"And if your grandmother calls Logan to invite him to dinner with you, I'll intervene," Lorelai promised.

Rory's eyes widened. "Do you think she'd do that?" she asked.

"I'd love to say no, but I really wouldn't put anything past her," Lorelai said sympathetically. "Luke and I managed to mess things up on our own, but before that, your grandmother was pretty instrumental in putting a couple cracks in our foundation."

"Right," Rory said, lowering her eyes to her lap. "God, I wish I didn't have to do this."

With a smile, Luke reached out to tap Rory's knee with his knuckles. "Take it from me, marrying a Gilmore is well worth putting up with the occasional Friday Night Dinner," he said.

"Yes, Luke just _begs_ to go to dinner every week," Lorelai said. "He presses his shirt and pants every Thursday night because he simply cannot wait for dinner with Richard and Emily."

Rory giggled. "Wow, Daddy Luke, you've come a long way," she said.

"Do not encourage her," Luke warned Rory.

"Do you make flashcards with notes?" Rory asked. "Study up on the Times so you have something to talk about with Grandpa?"

"No, but he did subscribe to the DAR weekly newsletter," Lorelai quipped. "You'd be surprised with how well he can carry on a conversation about the likelihood that several members of Hartford society are related to Abraham Lincoln."

Luke rolled his eyes and stood. "I'm leaving now," he announced before he walked out the door.

"Going to iron your shirt?" Rory called after him.

"Make sure you get all the wrinkles out of your slacks!" Lorelai added before she turned to Rory with a giggle. "It's good to have you back."

"Always willing to tease Luke," Rory confirmed.

"Mantra of my life," Lorelai said. "Things will be okay, Rory. Your grandparents may throw a couple curveballs, but luckily I'm an expert at dealing with them."

Rory narrowed her eyes. "That sounded remarkably like a sports reference," she accused.

Lorelai sighed and wrapped her arm around Rory. "Well, without you here to protect me, Luke's got me going to baseball games and…" she paused for dramatic effect. "Watching them."

"What?" Rory gasped. "Mom, you've got to remain strong! Baseball games are solely for eating massive amounts of food and mocking people. Have I taught you nothing?"

"Guess I just needed the reminder," Lorelai shrugged. "It's been too long since you've come around, hon."

Rory sighed and rested her head against Lorelai's shoulder. "I know, I miss you every day," she said.

"Me too," Lorelai whispered.

"It's like nothing's changed," Rory said. "I mean, everything's changed, but in a good way. But I like that sometimes, it feels like it's still you and me against the world."

"Amen, sister," Lorelai said. "We'll always have each other's backs, no matter what."

"Us Lorelai Gilmores do share a unique and wonderful bond."

"Amen, sister," Lorelai repeated. They sat in silence for a moment before she asked, "How badly do you want to go find Luke and ask him why he's not ironing?"

"So badly!" Rory replied, jumping off the couch. "Let's go!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks for all the great comments! I love that so many of you are still with me on this story. Enjoy!**

* * *

"I have to see my grandparents."

"I have to see my parents."

Luke rolled his eyes as he stood behind Lorelai and Rory outside of the Gilmore house the following evening. "I think we can all agree this is our least favorite door in the world," he grumbled. "Let's just get this over with."

Rory slipped her engagement ring off of her finger and held it out to Ethan. "Here, hold this," she said. "I changed my mind, I'm not going to tell them."

"I tried that, remember?" Lorelai said. "It resulted in a cancelled wedding and a trip to Harvard."

Rory stared at her mother skeptically. "Uh huh, and it had nothing to do at all with the fact that five minutes before you cancelled that wedding, you were talking to Luke about marriage," she said.

"Spy!" Lorelai gasped, pointing an accusatory finger in Rory's face.

"Stop!" Rory cried, squirming away from Lorelai's hand. "This is so not fair, why doesn't April have to be here?"

"Because she's smarter than all of us," Lorelai said. "We could call and see if there's a spot left in that science camp of hers."

"I'd rather do that than this," Rory pointed to the door. "Do you remember how Grandma reacted the first time you and Luke got engaged?"

"They're exaggerating, right?" Ethan muttered to Luke as the two men watched Lorelai and Rory bicker. In a rare switch of personalities, Rory was trying to find every excuse to return to the car while Lorelai guided her towards the front door.

"Want me to lie to you?" Luke asked.

"No."

"They're not exaggerating."

"Great."

Luke untangled a hand from Victoria's carrier to clap Ethan on the shoulder. "Be prepared for anything," he said. "I've had to deal with ex-boyfriends, DAR women, and once, a priest to lecture us on the dangers of living together before marriage."

"Great," Ethan repeated.

"Mom!" Rory practically shouted as Lorelai stepped forward to ring the doorbell. "What did you do that for?"

"I'm hungry," Lorelai replied. With a smirk, she added, "Doesn't feel so good to be on the wrong end of the doorbell ringing bit, does it?"

Rory shoved her hands in her pockets and grumbled, "traitor" under her breath.

"Hello, everyone!" Emily said as they filed past the maid to enter the foyer. "Welcome, come in! Ethan, it's lovely to see you again."

"Thanks, Mrs. Gilmore," he said with a polite nod. "You too."

"Hi Mom," Lorelai said as she knelt down in front of the baby carrier Luke had set down at his feet. "Before you ask, no, this is not Victoria. Luke and I decided to trade her in for another kid tonight, you know, see what other options are out there."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Is everything a joke to you?" she asked.

"No, I take my Happy Days reruns _very_ seriously."

"Just give me the baby," Emily demanded.

Lorelai pressed a kiss to the top of Victoria's head before she handed her over to Emily. "Godspeed," she murmured in her daughter's ear before she straightened plastered a smile across her face. "So…drinks?"

"Oh, yes, come in," Emily said. She led the group into the living room where Richard was standing at the cart. As Ethan and Luke exchanged pleasantries with the older man, Lorelai gripped Rory's elbow. "They're going to know something's up if you keep your hands shoved in your pockets all night," she stated.

"Shh," Rory hissed before she joined Ethan on the couch.

"Hey, Dad, how about a round of beers for the house?" Lorelai requested.

"Sit down and drink this, Lorelai," Richard said tiredly as he handed her a martini glass.

Lorelai sighed as she sat down beside Luke, who was eyeing his scotch suspiciously. "Still not a fan?" she asked.

"It's fine, I'm just wondering how much arsenic he put in it," Luke muttered back.

"Don't worry, it's not your head on the chopping block tonight," Lorelai reminded him with a pat on the leg.

"Kid looks like he's going to be sick," Luke admitted.

Lorelai glanced across the living room to Ethan, who was clutching his glass and staring at the ground. Rory was seated beside him, her left hand shoved under her thigh as she gripped her wine glass in her right hand. "Well, at least he's not yelling at her about making him nervous," she muttered. "Unlike your first dinner here."

"At least she's not rambling about drinking enough."

Lorelai frowned. "Truce?" she requested.

Luke tapped his glass against hers and then offered her a small smile before they both turned back to the conversation.

"Rory, how's that magazine of yours?" Richard asked as he seated himself in a chair beside Emily.

"It's good," Rory said with a nod. "Things are calmer now that the school year's over. The students are gone for the summer, so it's just the staff working on some major projects for the fall."

"Well, that does sound intriguing," Richard noted. "What sorts of articles are you working on?"

"None at the moment, but I'm working my way through some of the archives for Harvard," Rory replied. "We want to do a piece on underappreciated graduates, so I'm going through the records to find some overlooked graduation speeches and things like that."

"That sounds like a large undertaking," Emily said. "Will you get any time off?"

Rory nodded as she sipped her wine. "Yeah, we're going to go up to Maine to meet Mom and Luke for the Fourth," she said. "Relax and get away from the city a little."

"You went up there last year as well, didn't you?" Emily addressed Lorelai.

"Mmmhmm, thought we'd enjoy nature before we had to do the whole 'raising a kid' thing again," Lorelai confirmed. "Luke's cabin is beautiful, right on a lake."

"It's quite impressive that you built the cabin yourself," Richard commended, raising a glass towards Luke.

"Yes, Richard could never complete such a task," Emily conceded, nodding her blessing towards Luke as well.

"Uh, thanks," Luke said, unaccustomed to such complimentary statements from his in-laws. Usually they ignored him and focused solely on Victoria. "But it was mostly my dad. I just helped out by cutting wood, measuring beams, stuff like that."

Lorelai smirked. "Luke's _very_ good at measuring his wood," she said. He shot her a glare at her unspoken "dirty."

"I'm not even going to try to figure that out," Emily sighed tiredly. Turning back to Rory, she asked, "How long will you be up in Maine?"

Rory shrugged. "We haven't figured it out yet," she said. "Until we outstay our welcome."

"Oh, good, that means you'll stay forever!" Lorelai perked up. "We can shove the boys in a tent outside and make the cabin into a Sephora."

"Over my dead body," Luke muttered. Leaning closer, he requested, "cool it on the jokes, will you? You're making Rory nervous."

"You two are doing an awful lot of whispering," Emily said, looking at them suspiciously.

Lorelai and Luke both turned to look at her, their eyes wide and innocent. "Sorry, Mom, we'll stop," Lorelai said.

"Are you pregnant?"

Lorelai frowned and pointed to Victoria. "Remember the kid you're holding?" she asked. "When I gave birth to her, that meant I ceased to be pregnant any longer."

"I simply wondered if you're pregnant again."

"No," Lorelai said firmly.

"Then why are you whispering?"

"Well, Mom, it may be news to you, but whispering does not always equate to pregnancy."

"Lorelai."

Lorelai sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. She pouted for a moment and an awkward silence filled the room before she straightened and asked, "Guess who's close to crawling?"

"Victoria?" Emily asked, her eyes wide.

"Well, I was referring to Rory, but Victoria's getting pretty darn close too," Lorelai said. "Sibling rivalry, you know."

Emily shot an exasperated look towards Luke. "I give you credit for dealing with this every day," she said.

Luke shrugged and raised his glass. "You get used to it eventually," he said, then turned to offer Lorelai a small wink.

Lorelai smiled back, but kept up with the bit. "You think I'm hard to live with, Mom, you should see what happens when you don't change the coffee filter," she said. "Luke even lectured Rory yesterday."

"I said I was sorry!" Rory retorted with a scoff.

"For two caffeine addicts, you'd think you'd both be better at changing the filter," Luke grumbled. "It's almost as bad as the time you wanted to use the same spoon to scoop cookie dough and ice cream."

"Hey, I was only ten!" Rory replied. "And she told me it was okay!"

Emily's eyes widened as they zeroed in on Rory's hand, which had been waved in Lorelai's direction without thought. "Rory Gilmore, what is that on your hand?" she demanded as she stiffened.

Sensing the mood shift, Lorelai shoved her wine glass into Luke's hand and stood. "Mom, give me the baby," she said, reaching for Victoria.

Emily stood, her grip on Victoria tightening as she ignored Lorelai. "You better start talking right now, Lorelai Leigh."

"Mom," Lorelai begged, seeing Victoria's face begin to twist in discomfort. "Please, just hand Victoria to me."

Barely glancing at Lorelai, Emily shoved Victoria into her arms before she turned to Rory and Ethan. Lorelai shot Rory a sympathetic glance as she rocked back and forth, trying to soothe Victoria.

"Um, well," Rory cleared her throat. "Ethan and I decided we're going to get married."

Emily's face turned to steel, and Richard offered a deep sigh from his chair. Lorelai slid back onto the couch beside Luke, neither one of them saying a word as they waited for the other shoe to drop.

"This is surely a joke," Emily said calmly.

"No, no joke," Rory said timidly. "We've thought about it a lot, we're going to get married. The decision's made."

"You most certainly are not," Emily snapped. "No member of this family will be marrying a Harvard graduate."

"Your grandmother is right," Richard said as he joined Emily on his feet. "You're a Gilmore. Gilmores marry Yale men."

"Not all of us," Lorelai spoke up.

"Not now, Lorelai," Emily said, her voice irritated. "This doesn't concern you."

"Yes it does," Lorelai replied. "Rory's my daughter."

Emily turned to her with anger in her eyes. "Yes, and clearly you've convinced her that nothing we want for her is accurate," she said.

"I'm sorry, what?" Lorelai asked.

"Grandma, Mom had nothing to do with this," Rory replied. "Ethan and I want to get married."

"If you hadn't run away, that girl would have been brought up with real morals and an appreciation for family tradition!" Emily's voice rose as she addressed Lorelai. "Clearly you've had no cares about your own well being, but you might think about your daughter's."

Lorelai sighed as she sank back onto the couch, not having the energy to fight her mother on this yet again. Luke, however, was not as willing to listen to what Emily was saying.

"Emily, Lorelai and I want Rory to be happy," he said. "Lorelai did an exceptional job, look at her."

"You don't have to tell me how special my granddaughter is," Emily snapped. "I know that, I've always known that. It's why she should have been raised here, in a proper home."

"Grandma, please," Rory begged. "What does it matter where Ethan went to college?"

"It matters." Richard's voice was soft, but authoritative. "It's a matter of how it appears to society."

"Mr. Gilmore, with all due respect…"

Richard cut Ethan off with a sharp glare. "I don't need to hear anything you have to say, young man," he said. "Now, who knows about this façade?"

"It's not a façade," Rory said, her voice becoming stubborn. "We're not asking permission, we're telling you it's going to happen."

Emily turned to look at Lorelai. "What does Christopher have to say about this?" she demanded.

Taken aback, Lorelai searched for words before Rory stepped in.

"Dad doesn't matter," she said.

"He's your father, it certainly matters," Emily shot back.

"No, it doesn't!" Rory yelled, jumping to her feet. "It doesn't matter what Dad thinks! He's only ever been there when he wanted something! What matters is what I think and what Ethan thinks. If we're going to bring parents into this, then Mom and Luke are the only ones who get to have an opinion. Not you, not Grandpa, and definitely not Christopher!"

Emily met Rory's gaze with an icy stare. "Is this what's become of you?" she asked. "No respect for your grandparents or your own father?"

"It's not about Dad!" Rory shouted. "Why does everything always have to come back to him? Don't we know by now that Luke is five times the father Christopher Hayden will ever be?"

"Rory," Luke said gently. "You don't have to…"

"Yes, I do!" Rory cried. "We didn't come here to have you tear us apart, Grandma. None of us have any financial obligation to you. We're here because Ethan and I wanted to share our news with you, and Mom and Luke wanted to support us. If you have a problem with me marrying a man who loves me and makes me happy, then we'll leave. We don't need to be here, and frankly, there are a lot of other places I'd rather be right now."

With that, Rory turned on her heel and pushed past Ethan, fleeing out the back door. Ethan stood to follow her, but Richard's voice stopped him. "Sit down young man."

Without a beat, Luke patted Lorelai's knee and stood, hurrying out the backdoor after Rory. Lorelai followed his figure with a worried gaze before she returned her attention to her parents and future son in law.

"How are your finances?" Richard asked Ethan.

"Dad…" Lorelai began.

"These are the proper questions to ask, Lorelai," Richard explained patiently. "When a child gets engaged, there is a procedure to be followed."

"Dad, Luke and I have talked to both of them, they've talked it through," Lorelai said. "They know what they're doing."

"Like you knew what you were doing any number of times you decided to become engaged?" Emily snapped. "You don't know the procedures, Lorelai, you made sure of that when you were fifteen years old and refused to marry Christopher."

"I think we proved that to be a pretty dumb idea," Lorelai said, setting Victoria down in her carrier. When her daughter was happily chewing on a corner of her blanket, oblivious to the turmoil around her, Lorelai stood and put her hands on her hips. "In case you haven't noticed, Luke and I have managed to make things work this time around."

"That's not the matter at hand," Richard said. Turning back to Ethan, he inquired, "Do you have a retirement fund? Are your investments properly allocated?"

"No offense, Mr. Gilmore, but my financial standing is my business and Rory's business," Ethan said. "We are more than capable of providing for the lifestyle we want."

"Are you in debt?" Emily grilled him. "No granddaughter of ours will be marrying anyone with any amount of debt."

"Mom!" Lorelai snapped. "Don't do this. Rory loves him. He makes her happy, and he respects everyone in this family. Including you. Isn't that what you want for her?"

"What we want is for her to return to her senses, take a more sensible teaching fellowship at Yale, and settle down with a nice boy," Richard said. Turning to Emily he asked, "What is the deal with the Huntzburger boy?"

"Oh, Logan," Emily sighed happily. "Yes, that was a match made in heaven. I should call Shira and see what he's up to these days."

Lorelai's jaw dropped. She'd known her parents to reach all kinds of lows, inviting Christopher to their wedding and going behind her back to let Rory live with them topping the list. But she couldn't believe that they were standing in front of Rory's fiancé, openly discussing how they'd bring Logan back into Rory's life.

"Okay, that's enough," Lorelai said. "No one will be calling Logan. He's gone, in the past, hopefully living his own happy life. Ethan is here, and he's not going anywhere. Deal with it, or we're going home."

"I can't deal with this anymore," Emily said, turning on her heel. She stormed towards the stairs and paused on the first step, turning to look at Lorelai. "I never thought I'd be as disappointed in her as I have been in you," she said before she ascended the stairs without looking back.

Lorelai shoved the hurt that was coursing through her to the side as she turned to her father. "Dad, please, we all love Rory," she said. "Can't we look past this Harvard thing?"

Richard sighed heavily as he reached to pour himself some scotch. "Lorelai, if you'd gone to college you'd have understood the importance of remaining within the system," he said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check on your mother. I trust that you'll see yourselves out."

As Richard disappeared up the stairs, Ethan dropped onto the couch and stared straight ahead of him. "All this time, I thought she was exaggerating," he said hollowly.

Lorelai sighed as she sat down beside him. "Welcome to Friday Night Dinner," she said. "Don't worry, the anger turns to numbness within thirty minutes."

"She told me all kinds of stories about how her grandparents treated you, how they tried to control her when she lived here," Ethan continued without acknowledging that Lorelai had spoken. "I always thought she was putting her dramatic spin on things, I never imagined that it was this bad."

Lorelai offered him a sympathetic smile. "They'll come around," she said. "They usually do."

"I should go check on Rory," Ethan murmured, but made no move to stand.

"Rory's okay," Lorelai said. "Luke's with her. It's usually me who's fighting with the Gilmores, she's typically the golden child. Just give her a minute to process this."

Ethan sighed as he turned to look at Lorelai. "Will she change her mind?" he asked.

Lorelai shook her head. "No," she said confidently. "Rory's learned a lot from my mistakes, and trust me, there have been a lot of them. She won't let something like her grandparents being unreasonable stand in the way of being with you."

Glancing over his shoulder, Ethan asked, "You're sure I shouldn't go after her?" he asked.

"She'll come back when she's ready," Lorelai promised. "Let her have a minute." She stood and reached for Victoria, then held the baby out to Ethan. "Here, nothing to cheer you up like a cute baby."

Ethan smiled and took Victoria into his lap. "Thanks," he said.

"No problem," Lorelai said with a smile as she sat down beside him on the couch again. "You make Rory happy, Ethan. You respect her, you let her be herself, and you're willing to help her be the best she can be. That's all any mom wants for her daughter. My parents have always had a really specific set of goals for me, and when I failed to comply they transferred them to Rory. Now their plans aren't going the way they wanted them to, and they're over reacting. They learned to accept Luke, they'll accept you too. It's just going to take time."

"How much time?"

Lorelai smiled slightly. "Can't give you a timeline," she said. "But you've got me and Luke to help you through this. That's more than we had."

"True," Ethan sighed.

"Hey, do you want to see the portrait of Rory my mother had done when she was in high school?" Lorelai asked. "We can see how many shapes we can spot before we distinguish Rory from the Victorian girl she's posing as."

Ethan smiled gratefully. "Lead the way," he requested.

XXXXX

On the patio, Luke found Rory sitting on the rock wall of Emily's garden, her arms wrapped protectively over her stomach. He sat down beside her and let her gather herself before he turned his head towards her slightly. "Do you remember that time, when you were eleven or twelve, and you decided you wanted to have high tea?"

Rory wiped a tear away from her eye and nodded numbly. "Yeah," she admitted. "Mom made you bake scones and tea for us. You even let her decorate a table in the diner with a table cloth and tea cups so we'd have a view of town square."

"Well, it was more along the lines of her bursting into the diner and just doing it, ignoring me when I told her to stop," Luke admitted.

"Some things never change," Rory admitted.

Luke cleared his throat and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know if your mom ever told you, but she was terrified by the fact that you'd suggested something like a tea party," he informed her.

Surprised, Rory turned to look at him. "Really?" she asked.

"Yeah, she came in while you were at school and again ignored the fact that I had a business to run," Luke recalled. "She was close to tears, telling me how when she heard you say you wanted to have a fancy tea party she was afraid that you'd somehow gotten your grandparents' lifestyle ingrained in you."

"I barely knew them then," Rory speculated.

"That's what scared her," Luke said. "She kept going on and on about how she'd tried to protect you from that life, that she tried to give you boundaries without taking away your freedom. For the first time, she was realizing that you might not have hated this world as much as she does."

Rory shook her head. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked quietly.

"Because it was in that moment that I realized how strong your mom is," Luke said. "She said that she'd go back to having tea parties and attending society events if that was what you wanted. She said she'd do anything for you if she truly thought it would make you happy."

"She's always said that," Rory said.

Luke nodded, but remained silent. "I think that's the difference between her and your grandparents," he finally admitted. "I know you love them and care about what they think of your decisions. I can imagine how hard it must be to hear them talk about Ethan the way they did. But just remember, that your mom is happy if you're happy. Your grandparents, they'll realize that eventually. They always worm their way back."

Rory smiled ruefully. "You'd know that better than anyone," she teased.

"Do I ever," he said.

"Is it too much?" Rory whispered. "Do you think Ethan's already halfway back to Boston by now?"

Luke sighed. "I haven't heard any car engines, so that's a good thing," he admitted. "Which is a testament to how much he cares. I had to step back for awhile, you know that."

"Not your finest moment," Rory recalled. "Your cheeseburgers have never tasted worse."

"It wasn't my proudest moment," Luke stated. "I'll be honest, these dinners are not the best part of being married to a Gilmore. But giving up the dinners in addition to giving up the girl is definitely not worth it."

Rory sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Dad was pulled into this," she murmured.

"No big deal," Luke said. "We've put that in the past."

"I just feel like he keeps coming back up," Rory said as she sat up. "I meant what I said to Grandma, you and Mom are the only ones whose opinions matter. Not theirs, and certainly not Dad's."

Luke nudged her shoulder with his own. "Thanks for having my back," he said.

She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "What do I do if he can't handle it?" she asked. "What if he has doubts about us?"

"You talk it out," Luke said. "Relationships take work, kid, you can't deny any doubts or hurt feelings. You saw what that did to me and your mom."

"Yeah, but now you're married and happy," Rory sighed.

"We are," Luke said. "But sometimes those doubts sneak back in."

Rory scoffed. "Yeah, right," she said.

"They do," Luke insisted. "Just a week ago, I told your mom that I was still surprised that we'd worked things out, that I felt like she deserved something better."

Rory tensed, and he saw her face transform into the protective mask she had when it came to Lorelai. He'd seen it many times during the longest and loneliest year of his life. "Really?" she asked.

"Really," he said. "But I told her how I was feeling, and even though her feelings were a little hurt, we were able to talk through it and bury those doubts again."

"So everything's okay?" Rory asked.

"Everything's fine," Luke nodded. "Take it from me, though, you've got to talk things through. Relationships take a lot of work, but I'd hate for you to end up alone like I was for so long. You've got too much to offer the world. You and Ethan have had it pretty easy so far, but there have to be a few challenges in order to make it worth it."

Rory shook her head slightly. "You're very wise, Daddy Luke," she stated.

"Coffee's not the only thing I have to offer," he admitted.

"Thanks for being here," Rory sighed. She pushed herself off the garden wall and started towards the house. "I guess we should go rescue our better halves."

Luke trailed after her, shoving his hand in his pockets. "Well, if I know your mom like I think I do, she's probably giving Ethan the tour of the house that includes all the Emily banned stories," he commented.

On cue, Lorelai marched into the living room and pointed to the painting above the mantel. "See that?" she asked Ethan. "They had to paint over my Hello Kitty shirt because I purposely spilled hot chocolate on the dress my mother had dressed me in."

Rory sighed and stepped closer to Ethan. "Has she showed you the potions lab in the basement yet?" she asked.

Lorelai gasped. "That's the grand finale!" she exclaimed. "Thanks for spoiling it."

"I'll live," Ethan shrugged. He looked at Rory carefully and asked, "Are you okay?"

Rory shrugged. "I will be," she said. "This isn't the first Friday Night Dinner fight."

"Definitely makes the top five though," Lorelai commented. "You'll get your participation trophy later."

"Can we leave yet?" Luke asked, glancing towards the stairs. "I'm not interested in getting involved in round two."

Lorelai nodded as she shifted Victoria onto her hip. "Yeah, let's hit the road," she said. Crouching down to strap Victoria into her carrier, she called over her shoulder, "Know any diners that might be willing to feed some battle survivors?"

"Yeah, there's one in Stamford," Luke deadpanned.

"Not funny," Rory sighed from where her head was resting on Ethan's shoulder. "I need a Luke burger, coffee, and chili fries, stat."

Luke gestured towards the front door as Lorelai stood, cradling the baby carrier in her hand. "Lead the way," he said.

"We'll meet you there," Lorelai replied. "Drive safe."

"Thanks, Lorelai," Ethan said. He and Rory climbed into his car and were pulling out of the driveway before Lorelai had even snapped the car seat into place.

"You're lucky you're cute," Lorelai cooed to her daughter. "You certainly make it difficult to have a speedy getaway." With a final tug on to make sure Victoria was securely strapped into place, Lorelai kissed her forehead and then slid into the front seat. "Punch it, Butch."

Once he was cruising down the highway, Luke glanced at Lorelai. "Hey," he asked. "You okay?"

She shrugged. "I've been dealing with this my whole life," she said. "I just hate that Rory's so upset."

"Me too."

"Did she say anything?" Lorelai asked.

"She's worried it's going to be too much for Ethan, that he's going to change his mind," Luke sighed regretfully. "I probably didn't do her any favors in setting that example."

"You came around," Lorelai replied. "Trust me, if I could walk away after tonight, I would."

"I wish things were easier for you," Luke murmured. "Both of you."

"Sometimes they are," Lorelai said. "But this…I haven't seen them like this in a long time. Probably since the whole 'Rory has to meet Christopher's parents' debacle."

"When did that happen?" Luke asked curiously.

"Not long after she started at Chilton," Lorelai said evasively, hoping he wouldn't ask for more details about that night. Luckily, he seemed to understand her desire to process the evening in her own mind, and simply reached over to rest a hand on her knee. She rested her own hand on top of it, grateful for the support and how well he understood her.

When Luke pulled up in front of the diner twenty minutes later, Lorelai hopped out of the front seat and opened the back door, going to work at unbuckling Victoria from her car seat. Luke walked around the car and brushed his hand over her back, murmuring, "I'll go inside and get your coffee going."

"Your daddy knows the way to my heart," Lorelai smiled down at Victoria as she lifted her into her arms. She entered the diner a few minutes after Luke did, smiling at Ethan and Rory who were both already sipping at their coffee. "Well, fancy meeting you here."

"Hey, Mom," Rory said tiredly.

Lorelai settled into a seat and sat Victoria on her lap. "I hear the owner of this joint is very attractive, but he's got to get some highchairs installed."

"Here," Luke said, informally dropping a wooden highchair beside Lorelai and then placing a cup of coffee in front of her.

"Wow, talk about good service," Lorelai said. "What are the chances of you having pie?"

"Dinner first," Luke said, pointing to the kitchen. "I'll be back there."

"Hurry up, I'm starving," Lorelai waved him away. After she'd settled Victoria into the highchair and had filled a sippy cup of milk for her (managing to get behind the counter without Luke noticing), Lorelai turned to Rory and Ethan. "So, we've had time to process. By my calculations, we're past anger and numbness, we've left disbelief somewhere by route 7, and now we're into confusion. Am I right?"

"Just about," Rory shrugged. "But it's not a big deal. Like I said to Grandma, none of us needs anything from them. If they're going to be like this, we don't have to visit or include them in the wedding."

Ethan offered Rory a supportive squeeze on the shoulder, and Lorelai sipped her coffee. "Honey, you know that I'd be all for leaving them in the rearview," she said after a beat. "But you know they're not going to make it that easy."

"They might," Rory defended. "Before Chilton, we barely saw them."

"Uh huh, that's true," Lorelai said. "But things were a lot different back then. I just want you to be prepared, it's not like you're going to cut them out and leave them out. That's what I tried to do when I ran away with you and here we are, twenty five years later. They're still lecturing me about my life choices and telling me I'm a bad mother."

Rory shook her head as she leaned forward and ran her hand over Victoria's head. "You're not a bad mother," she promised. "Right, Victoria? We hit the mom jackpot."

"I concur," Ethan said, raising his coffee cup towards Lorelai. "If I can speak to your mother in law skills."

Lorelai smiled. "I wonder if there's a record on types of mothering a girl can accomplish," she said. "Mother, stepmother, mother in law, godmother…I've got them all."

"You could always…" Rory froze midsentence, her eyes wide as she focused on something outside the window. "Oh no. No, no, no, this is _not_ happening."

"What?" Ethan and Lorelai asked together, both turning to follow Rory's gaze.

Lorelai gasped in recognition and turned to bury her face in her hands. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," she muttered under her breath. "This is a new low for Emily."

"Rory?" Ethan asked. "What is it?"

Rory's eyes were fixated on the motorcycle being parked across from the diner. "It's my dad," she whispered.

"I'll deal with this," Lorelai promised. "Take Victoria upstairs. Leave her in her crib and make sure you turn the baby monitor on when you come down."

"No, Mom, I can…"

"Rory!" Lorelai snapped. "Now."

Rory's eyes widened, and suddenly she was six years old again. Rarely had Lorelai ever used such an authoritative tone of voice, but Rory had always known that the voice meant business. Quickly, she stood and scooped her sister into her arms, scurrying towards the staircase. Ethan trailed behind her, firing a series of questions as they went.

Grateful that both the diner and the town square seemed to be empty, Lorelai gave herself a mental pep talk, fingered her wedding rings, and then forced herself to stand.

She stepped out of the diner just as Christopher strode across the street, crossing her arms over her chest as their eyes met. "Christopher," she said tiredly. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Is she here?" Christopher asked, ignoring her question. "Rory, is she here?"

"If she wanted you to know where she was, she would have called you," Lorelai replied, standing firmly in front of the doorway to the diner. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to talk to my daughter," Christopher said. He pushed past Lorelai and strode inside, calling Rory's name as he went.

"Chris, you shouldn't be here!" Lorelai cried, following him inside.

"How could you let this happen, Lorelai?" Christopher turned to look at her with angry eyes. "Rory's getting married? To some kid I've never met? Why didn't you stop her?"

"Stop her?" Lorelai asked. "News flash, Christopher, she's twenty four years old! If she wants to get married, she can get married!"

"I can't believe this," Christopher said, pacing the expanse of the dining room. "Rory calls me, out of the blue, and asks me to lunch. I'm thrilled, thinking that my daughter actually wants to spend time with me, and she tells me that she's getting married. Married! Then she goes on for another hour about how she didn't even care about bringing the guy with her and she didn't need my permission because she only cares what you and your husband think. Do you get how hard it was for me to hear that from her?"

"I don't know, probably about how hard it was to tell her every year on her birthday and father's day and every other damn day of her life that no, her father hadn't called!" Lorelai shouted back. "Why are you surprised by this, Christopher? You come in after twenty years, foot the college bill, and then fall out of her life again once we got divorced. Do you think that's being a father? Do you honestly think that gets you a spot up there with Howard Cunningham and Mike Brady?"

"Lorelai…"

She whirled around to see Luke standing behind her, looking weary and concerned. "I'm sorry, Luke, I'm really sorry," she said. "We're done here."

"You don't need to be sorry." Luke didn't turn to look at her as he crossed his arms over his chest, remaining focused on Christopher.

Christopher raised his hands in front of his chest. "Look, I'm not looking for another fight," he said to Luke. "You won, you got Lorelai, I get that."

"He _got_ me?" Lorelai replied, stepping between the two men. "He didn't _get_ me, Christopher. I'm not a prize at the carnival. He _chose_ me, and I chose him. Don't act like a martyr, it doesn't suit you."

"I'm not here because of either of you," Christopher replied hotly. "I'm here because of Rory. She needs someone to talk some sense into her."

"No, she needs someone to support her and tell her that if she's happy, she's doing the right thing," Lorelai replied. "The poor girl has been through enough tonight, you're not going to come in and make it worse."

"I know what happened, and if she's not going to listen to your parents, maybe she'll listen to me," Christopher replied. "She can't get married."

"You know?" Lorelai repeated. "How the hell do you know?"

"Your mother called me."

Lorelai inhaled deeply and stared at the ceiling, fighting the fury coursing through her heart. "Of course she did," she muttered. "It's just a step in the process."

Clearing his throat, Luke stepped forward and rested his hand on Lorelai's shoulder. "Maybe we should all take a step back," he suggested, trying to suppress his disdain for the other man in the room. "We all want what's best for Rory."

"This is between me and Lorelai," Christopher snapped. "She's our kid."

"Stop, all of you just stop!" Rory's voice came from the corner of the room, and all three adults turned to see her standing in front of the plaid curtain. "I'm not a kid! You all need to stop arguing over me like I am! I'm an adult, and I know what I'm doing."

"Rory…" Lorelai started. "We're not trying to treat you like a kid."

Rory crossed her arms over her chest and stared stubbornly at her father. "You should go," she said.

"Kiddo, we just need to figure this out," Christopher replied.

"There's nothing to figure out!" Rory shouted. "This has nothing to do with you! I can make my own choices, and this is my choice. You don't get a say in it."

"We're your parents, Rory."

"No, they're my parents," Rory said, pointing to Lorelai and Luke. "When I wasn't sure what I wanted, they were the ones I turned to. They gave me advice and told me to think things over carefully and talk to Ethan before I answered too quickly. They're the ones who taught me how to ice skate, who looked out for me when I started dating, who took care of me when I was sick. I can't do this anymore, Dad. I told you about this as a courtesy, because I felt like it was the right thing to do. Not so you could come in and start trying to parent me now, when I don't need it anymore. Please, just leave me to live my life as I want to live it."

"Rory…"

Without a word, she turned and fled back up the stairs. Lorelai turned to Christopher and crossed her arms over her chest. "Explanation enough for you?" she asked. "Leave."

"Lor…"

"Christopher, is this ever going to end?" Lorelai asked tiredly. "I'm so tired of this. We did one great thing together, one perfect thing, in Rory. But that's it. We're done. She's an adult. I didn't try to manipulate her or control her when she came to me about Ethan. All I did was told her about my mistakes and my successes, and told her she should talk to him. That's it. There was none of this 'can't get married' business, because I raised a smart girl. She needs to live life on her own terms, and she loves Ethan. He makes her happy and she can be herself with him. That's all I need to know."

"She's too young."

"I was a hell of a lot younger than her when she was born," Lorelai said. "I've done pretty damn well with my life. She's got the world at her feet, and the support of her parents and a man who loves her. I've never had my parents' approval, and I waited a hell of a lot longer for a guy to love me like Ethan loves Rory. She's fine, Christopher. She's better than fine, she's thriving. And you're taking this incredibly happy moment away from her."

"I'm not trying to."

"Then leave," Lorelai said. "Leave and don't pressure her. Give it time and she'll call you when she's ready. If you're smart, you'll support her when she does."

Christopher ran a hand over his head and nodded slowly. "You're right," he sighed. "I'm sorry, for storming in like that."

"Not the first time it's happened," Lorelai said. Calming slightly she tilted her head to the side and requested, "Make sure it's the last."

With a nod, Christopher said, "It will be." He looked past her and addressed Luke. "I'm sorry. For coming in here and saying what I said."

Luke shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. "Just let Rory have some time," he demanded. "She needs it."

Christopher sighed and raised a hand in an exhausted farewell before he turned and walked out of the door. Lorelai turned and leaned into Luke, resting her entire body weight against his as he wrapped his arms lazily around her, tracing his fingers over her back. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and allowed her a moment of silence before he commented, "Never a dull moment, with you."

Lorelai pulled back and he wasn't surprised to see that she was fighting tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I know you hate him, and I never thought he'd come here like that. I'm really sorry, Luke, I know my parents and Christopher…I know you hate that we'll never be done with any of them."

Reaching out to wipe a tear from her cheek, Luke offered her a small smile. "As I said to Rory, it's definitely not my favorite part of being married to you," he said. "But nobody's perfect, right? You had to have a flaw somewhere. The good outweighs the bad by far."

"So does that mean you won't complain about how much coffee I drink?" she asked.

"Not tonight," Luke sighed. He glanced towards the curtain and asked, "Should we check on them?"

Lorelai sighed sadly. "No, let's give her a minute," she sighed.

Luke could sense her sadness and reached out to brush her hair over her shoulder. "She still needs you, Lorelai," he murmured.

"I know," she sighed. "Just not the way she used to."

"You two understand each other," Luke murmured. "You're her best friend."

A sniffle came from the staircase, and they both turned to see Rory and Ethan standing before them. Rory hurried across the diner and burrowed into Lorelai's arms, letting her tears flow as she rested her head on her shoulder. Lorelai wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. She rubbed a soothing hand over her back before she murmured something into her ear. Rory nodded numbly, and Lorelai turned to Luke. "We're going to go for a walk," she said quietly. "I'll see you at home?"

"Sure," Luke nodded. "Do you need…"

"We're okay," Lorelai promised. "Look after my other girl?"

"Of course," Luke replied. He watched as Lorelai led Rory out the door, arms still wrapped around each other, and for a moment he flashed back in time to the caterpillar funeral Rory had planned meticulously.

With a sigh, he turned to Ethan and asked, "How about a beer?"

"Got anything stronger?"

Luke flipped the lock on the diner door and strode towards the kitchen. "Be right back." A moment later, he returned with a bottle of vodka and held it up. "Cesar thinks I don't know about his stash."

Ethan smiled and pushed two empty coffee cups across the counter. "Is it still hard?" he asked. "You've been with Lorelai for years, is it still this…exhausting to be around their family?"

"Usually it's at least tolerable," Luke said. "I thought some progress had been made, but now I'm not so sure. They were more passive with me, trying to manipulate me and Lorelai from behind the scenes."

"Is it better or worse that they had a fight in front of me?" Ethan asked. "A fight that, according to Lorelai, is in the top five of all time?"

Luke sighed as he sipped his vodka. "I'm not sure," he said honestly. "But we'll have your back."

Ethan nodded slowly. "I love Rory," he said. "More than I've ever loved anyone."

Hearing the doubt in the younger man's voice, Luke lowered his mug and stared down at him. "Are you rethinking things?" he demanded.

"No!" Ethan replied quickly. "I mean, I don't relish seeing any of those people again, but Rory's worth it."

"She is," Luke replied. "You're a smarter man than I am."

Ethan smiled wryly. "Well, I did go to Harvard."

Luke tapped his mug against Ethan's. "Let's not bring that up in front of the Gilmores again," he suggested.

"Don't worry, I've already figured that one out," Ethan said. He took a sip, then asked, "How'd you win them over?"

"Still waiting on that." Luke poured them each another drink.

Ethan sighed dejectedly. "Will they ever like me?" he asked.

Luke contemplated for a moment. "You could move to New Haven and get another degree from Yale," he suggested.

"I'll do that when you do," Ethan offered.

"Well, then, welcome to the ranks of being a Gilmore in law," Luke said. "Just be glad I paved the way for you. I was flying blind."

Ethan grimaced. "My regrets," he said before he tossed back the rest of his drink.

XXXXX

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Lorelai asked from the passenger seat of Ethan's car a few minutes later.

"Yeah," Rory nodded from her seat behind the wheel.

"You haven't had enough emotional trauma for the night?" Lorelai speculated.

Rory shook her head as she looked at the abandoned building before her. "Please, Mom, this is the first home I remember," she said. "I just…I want to go back to that time. Just for a second."

Lorelai reached for Rory's hand and squeezed it before she nodded. "Okay," she said. "Let's go."

Together, they climbed out of the car and Lorelai took in a deep breath as she looked at what had once been her home, her job, her sense of freedom. The Independence Inn had saved her, and she hated the fact that it still stood abandoned so long after Mia had sold it to a real estate developer.

Rory linked her arm through hers, and together the girls walked across the yard, bypassing the main building to the pond, where the potting shed still sat. They stopped to look at the small building for a moment, and finally Rory took a step forward. Wordlessly, they settled onto the bench outside the shed, and Rory shifted so her head was in Lorelai's lap.

"This used to be a lot easier," Rory whispered as she felt Lorelai's hand run over her hair.

"Still works," Lorelai murmured. She glanced up at the inn, a thousand memories washing over her at the feeling of being back in this place.

"I miss it," Rory whispered. "Sometimes I wish it was still just you and me. I feel terribly about it, because I love Luke and April and Victoria, and I know how happy you are with him. But sometimes, on days like today, I wish we were still here, daydreaming and planning together."

"Things were easier back then," Lorelai admitted.

"No Grandma and Grandpa," Rory murmured. "Or Dad."

"That's true," Lorelai replied. "But also…no Ethan. Or Luke's coffee. Or Yale."

"I know," Rory sighed. She wiped a tear away from her face and asked, "How come no one's done anything with it?"

"I don't know," Lorelai admitted. "I guess there's not the market for another inn here in town."

Rory nodded. "It makes me sad," she said quietly.

"Me too," Lorelai said.

They sat in silence, each of them lost in memories as they traveled back in time. Lorelai stroked Rory's hair gently, and after several minutes Rory let out a small sigh. "Mommy?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"I'm sorry I ruined your life."

Lorelai shifted and nudged Rory to be seated. In the dim moonlight, she could see tears reflecting in her daughter's eyes, and she felt her heart break. "Rory Gilmore, when have I ever made you feel like you ruined my life?" she asked, reaching out to brush a tear away.

"Never, but…" Rory swallowed hard. "Well, things would have been easier without me."

"Not true," Lorelai said. "God, Rory, I don't even want to think about how lonely and boring my life would have been like if you hadn't come along."

"You could have finished high school."

With a small smile, Lorelai tapped her daughter's nose the way she had when Rory was little. "News flash, I was not as into school as you were," she said.

"I know," Rory whispered. "But…you missed out on a lot. You gave up a lot because of me."

"I gave up a lot for you," Lorelai said. "And I don't regret a second of it. Well, except that perm back in ninety two."

Rory giggled slightly. "I tried to talk you out of it."

"Yes, even at eight, you were smarter than me," Lorelai confirmed. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me, Rory, never doubt that."

"You have Victoria now," Rory whispered. "And Luke."

"Both amazing additions to my life, as is April and Sookie and this entire town," Lorelai nodded. "Want to know a secret though?"

"What?" Rory asked curiously.

"You still top the list of 'best things,'" Lorelai admitted. "Because you led the way to Stars Hollow and Luke and Victoria. I love her just as much as I love you, and I love Luke in a different way. But without wanting better for you, I'd never have come here. So don't think for a second that you ruined anything. You gave me my life, Rory."

Rory smiled and turned back to the Independence Inn. "I had an idea once," she said softly.

"Was it to use your fancy Harvard connections to get Bono tickets?" Lorelai asked.

"No," Rory replied. "I thought of opening a school."

"A school?" Lorelai asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Rory nodded. "I've always loved learning and books, and I got so lucky that you were so strong to give me everything I ever needed or wanted. A lot of teenage moms don't have that courage or the means to do so, but you challenged that stereotype."

"Something I do well."

"But part of me always thought how unfair it was," Rory continued. "You're so smart, Mom, you deserve better than a GED and five years worth of night classes."

"I've done okay."

"Better than okay," Rory said. "It was on the bus, last year, when I thought how you should have had more. You should have had the opportunity to finish high school, on your own terms, without abandoning your responsibilities as a mother. I wondered what it would be like if there was a school for teenage mothers, and fathers, I guess, to raise their kids and get their high school diplomas. Flexible classes, childcare for the kids, maybe a support group or something. That way teenage parents could have a place to be parents and students. Like you should have had the chance to do."

Lorelai felt her heart burst with pride. Even in the midst of an emotional argument with her grandparents and her father, Rory was still dreaming big. It touched Lorelai that her life was inspiration for Rory to think about helping other people. "That sounds like a wonderful idea," she said softly. "I hope one day there are places like that, for girls in my position."

"I want to do it," Rory said.

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"I want to do it now," Rory said. "Here."

"Rory…"

Rory sat up straighter, her mind beginning to work in overdrive. "Mom, it's perfect," she said. "The building's empty, and it won't take much renovations. This could totally work."

"Honey, I hate to burst your bubble because this sounds incredible, but there isn't exactly a high population of teenage parents here in Stars Hollow," Lorelai said gently.

"So we'll advertise the greater Hartford area," Rory replied. "I can reach out to high schools and planned parenthoods and doctors' offices. This could really work. I can do this, Mom, I know I can."

Lorelai smiled as she reached out to smooth Rory's hair away from her face. "Okay," she said. "Why don't we start with talking to that future husband of yours? If you really want to do this, he's going to have to know about it."

"Let's go!" Rory cried, grabbing onto Lorelai's arm. "I've got to look into who owns this land, and school accreditation processes and curriculum design. I should call Paris, she knows all kinds of fancy lawyers…"

With a shake of her head, Lorelai followed Rory back to the car. She knew that Rory probably didn't know exactly what a huge undertaking she was dreaming of, but she'd never been able to deny her daughter the opportunity to dream. So instead of trying to be realistic, she looped her arm through Rory's and commented, "I happen to know of the most adorable house you could rent…"

XXXXX

"Luke, I'm bored."

Luke let out a frustrated sigh as he stared out the windshield of the Jeep. "Take a nap," he said.

"I'm not tired."

"Then read a book."

Lorelai scoffed. "I have to save it for the lake," she said. "Plus, it's a book I can't read in front of our daughter."

"Why not?" Luke asked.

"Well, Lucas, it's the captivating story of a young maiden, trapped in a loveless engagement to the town squire," Lorelai said. "Fortunately, she encounters the blacksmith on an adventure unescorted into town. What ensues is a tale of lust and romance that will leave me all hot and bothered and wanting you."

"So it's one of those trashy romance books you always read?" Luke deduced.

Lorelai gasped. "You don't ever complain after I read them," she said. "Especially after the one about the maid who was having an affair with the master of the house. You _loved_ my outfit that night."

He shook his head slightly and glanced into the rearview mirror. "This is getting dangerously close to not daughter friendly territory," he said.

"Shutting up," Lorelai said. She glanced out the window and smiled, pointing to an exit sign ahead of them. "Hey, remember that?"

Luke glanced at the sign, then turned to look at her with an affectionate smile. "How could I forget?" he asked. "Lake Winnipesauke. Great place. Good inns."

Lorelai giggled. "You know, it's almost five years to the day that you seduced me for the first time," she said.

Reaching for her hand, Luke brought it to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "What a night," he murmured, letting the memory of their stolen weekend together wash over him.

" _Thanks for dinner," Lorelai said as she and Luke strolled through the parking lot to their private cabin behind a lakeside inn._

 _He squeezed her hand and nudged her gently. "Thanks for driving all the way up here," he replied. He looked at his feet for a moment before he admitted, "I've missed you."_

 _Lorelai closed her eyes as she stopped outside the cabin, turning him to face her. "I've missed you too," she confessed. "It's been so lonely this summer. No Rory. No Luke."_

" _Have you heard from her?" Luke asked gently._

 _Lorelai shook her head, but offered him a brave smile. "Let's not talk about Rory right now," she requested. "We're here, together, for the first time in three and a half weeks."_

 _With a smile, Luke stepped closer to her. "Is it weird?" he asked._

 _Smoothing her hands over his shirt, Lorelai shook her head slightly. "Maybe a little," she said. "But our nightly phone calls have helped me feel closer to you."_

" _Funny, it seems like we've been four states apart," Luke grumbled._

 _She giggled and shook her head. "Not that way, just…emotionally," she said. "You've told me things, opened up a little. It's been nice, and it's making things less strange than they could be right now. I feel like I know you better."_

" _Oh yeah?" Luke asked. "What do you know?"_

" _I know that you want to kiss me," Lorelai whispered, her eyes not leaving his._

 _Luke swallowed hard and reached up to brush her hair out of her eyes. "Would that be okay?" he asked._

" _I'd be sad if you didn't," Lorelai replied._

" _Can't have that," Luke murmured. Cupping her cheek in his hand, he leaned down to kiss her, his lips just as soft and smooth as she remembered. Lorelai returned the kiss, enjoying the moment as she ran her fingers through his fine brown hair._

 _After a moment, Lorelai pulled back and smiled up at him. "We're pretty good at that," she admitted._

" _We are," he agreed. "Always thought we would be."_

 _She smiled and ran her hand down to lace her fingers through his. "What a date," she whispered._

" _Not a date," he insisted._

 _Fear flashed through Lorelai's eyes and she took a step back, dropping his hand. "Oh," she said, wrapping her arms over her stomach protectively. "I thought…"_

" _Hey," Luke said, reaching out to pull her closer. "I just meant that...I don't want to start things, actually start things, until I'm home."_

" _Okay," Lorelai whispered, but didn't make a move to wrap her arms from her torso._

" _Lorelai," he murmured her name. "Talk to me."_

" _I thought…" Lorelai shook her head. "I thought we were already starting things."_

 _Luke contemplated for a moment. "I just thought we could wait, until we have our first date," he finally said. "I've been picturing it, and I want that to happen."_

" _So this," Lorelai waved a hand between them. "Is what? A business dinner?"_

" _No, just two people who happened to be in the area, enjoying a meal together," Luke replied._

" _You paid."_

" _Friendly gesture."_

" _You walked me home."_

" _We're staying together."_

" _That was my next point."_

 _Luke let out a breath. "I didn't ask you to meet me here for sex," he said honestly. "I just wanted to see you."_

 _Lorelai tilted her head to the side curiously. "So you'd be completely okay if we went inside and had a completely platonic evening of watching TV and chatting?" she asked._

" _If that's what you wanted, yes," Luke nodded. "I just…missed you. The rest can wait."_

 _Lorelai searched his gaze, saw that he was completely serious, and felt her heart swell with emotion. She wasn't sure what she was feeling; it was more than lust, but it wasn't quite love. Not yet, at least. "I don't want to wait," she stated._

" _Are you sure?" Luke asked, uncertainty lacing his voice._

" _Positive," Lorelai said. Knowing that they were about to completely cross the line and change their friendship forever, Lorelai stepped closer. "Please, Luke. Take me inside."_

 _Without a word, Luke took her hand led her to the door of the cabin. He slid the key into the lock, cursing his hands for shaking with anticipation. Once they were inside, with the door secured behind them, Lorelai stood in the center of the room, staring at the large, neatly made bed that sat in the back of the room._

" _Lorelai," he whispered, stepping behind her and wrapping his arms around her from behind. "We don't…"_

" _I want to," she said firmly, turning to look at him. "Don't you?"_

 _Luke leaned down to kiss her firmly. "Dear god, yes," he replied when they broke apart for air._

 _Without a word, Lorelai pulled her hair over her shoulder and turned her back to him, offering him the zipper on the summer sundress she wore. Luke swallowed hard, trying to control himself as he realized that this was actually happening, that he was about to undress Lorelai Gilmore._

 _The zipper moved easily down her skin, and Luke leaned down to press a kiss to her neck before he gently eased the light green straps over her shoulders. She stepped out of the dress and kicked off her summer pumps, turning to look at him clad only in a set of pale pink bra and underwear. Her hair was curling around her face, and Luke let his eyes comb over her, taking in every detail of her perfect body._

" _You're so beautiful," he heard himself say._

 _Lorelai smiled, her skin flushing slightly at the compliment, and she stepped forward to tug gently at the hem of his dark blue summer sweater. "As much as I love the change from plaid, this has got to go," she requested. Luke obliged, pulling his t-shirt over his head and dropping them both on the ground beside her dress. He was kicking out of his shoes when he saw Lorelai staring at him with wide eyes._

" _What?" he asked, suddenly self conscious._

 _Shaking her head, Lorelai stepped closer and ran her fingertips over his tattoo. "Somehow I forgot this was here," she murmured. "It's very sexy." She leaned forward to trail her lips over the pattern and Luke closed his eyes, reciting the Red Sox line up in his head to calm himself down._

 _Suddenly, Lorelai's lips were on his neck as she stood on her tiptoes to reach the spot. Her hands played through his chest hair, and after a moment he reached behind her to the clasp of her bra. He unsnapped the soft material and stepped back, watching as she slid the straps over her perfect arms._

" _Lorelai," he sighed, reaching out to run his fingertips over a breast._

 _She gasped slightly at his touch, and she leaned her head back in pleasure. "Luke," she sighed, closing her eyes as she stepped closer._

 _Hearing his name leave her lips caused arousal to surge through Luke and he gently backed her towards the bed. She collapsed onto it, propping herself up on her elbows as she met his eyes. "You're wearing too many clothes," she informed him._

 _Suddenly feeling shy, Luke nodded towards the pink scrap of satin separating her from him. "Back at you."_

 _Lorelai raised her eyebrows, surprised by his boldness, but shifted so she was on her knees. "Allow me," she said, reaching for his belt._

" _Lorelai," he paused, stopping her hands in mid air. "I can't…we can't go back after this."_

" _I know," she said, her eyes searching his. "I'm sure, Luke. Are you?"_

" _Yes," he replied. He squeezed her hands and asked, "Do I need to…"_

" _I'm good," Lorelai offered him a smile. "I've learned my lesson, I'm a religious pill taker."_

" _Okay," Luke said. He smiled shyly._

 _Lorelai untangled her hands from his and reached for his belt again, her tongue poking out of her mouth as she concentrated on the task. Luke watched her, wondering how she managed to look adorable and sexy at the same time._

 _Once Lorelai had slid the belt from his pants and dropped it onto the floor, she sat back on her heels, looking up at him with excitement and arousal in her eyes. He took a deep breath as he pushed his pants over his hips, taking his boxers with them. He kicked the offending material to the side, then turned to look at Lorelai, who was focused on one thing with an impressed smile._

" _Wow," she whispered as she crawled across the bed to pull him closer. "You've been hiding this from me all this time?"_

 _He smirked, pleased that she was pleased. "Among other things," he admitted._

 _Lorelai wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. After a moment, she leaned back, pulling him onto the bed and on top of her. "Show me what you've got," she requested, drawing her knee up so it rested against his hip._

 _Unable to believe that this was happening, Luke knelt back and reached for her underwear. He slid them slowly down her legs and then dropped them carelessly on the ground, focusing on Lorelai. She was stretched out on the bed before him, panting with desire, and he could feel the culmination of a thousand fantasies building up to this very moment._

" _Luke?" Lorelai called gently from the pillows, and he shook himself out of his trance. Crawling back over her, he ran his hands up and down her sides as he kissed her deeply._

" _You have no idea," he murmured into her ear. "What you do to me."_

 _Lorelai arched her back, swallowing hard as she felt his lips trail down her neck to her collarbone. "I think I do," she admitted._

" _You're so perfect," Luke murmured, his hand moving to massage her breast gently._

" _Oh my god," Lorelai whispered. "Luke…"_

" _Lorelai…"_

 _With a smile and a nod, she reached up to cup his face in her hands. "Please."_

 _The one word was all Luke needed and he reached between them to gently position himself against her folds. He slowly moved his hips forward, keeping his eyes locked on Lorelai's as he committed every feeling to memory. She was warm and pliant beneath him, and her tightness enveloped him perfectly._

" _Oh," she gasped as he eased into her. "Oh…"_

 _He swallowed hard as he pushed into her all the way, taking in how dark her eyes appeared. She was panting as her arms wrapped around his neck, and a moment later he felt her nails scrape over the back of his neck._

" _Luke," she sighed. "God, you feel good."_

 _Breaking eye contact, he buried his face in her neck as he remained buried deep inside of her. "So good," he agreed. "Lorelai…perfect."_

 _She rocked her hips gently against his, and he began to move, his lips pressing gentle kisses to her neck as he moved in and out of her._

" _Oh my god," Lorelai gasped. She met his hips thrust for thrust, and he could feel her body responding to his movements. Wanting this to last as long as possible, Luke pulled himself up and made eye contact with her again. Her face was glistening with sweat and her eyes were glazed over, and as she reached her hand out to him, he took it. As he laced their fingers together, his movements became quicker. She squeezed his hand and relaxed beneath him, letting him take the lead. "Luke," she moaned, her head arching back against the pillow. "Oh my god….yes…." Her body tightened around him as she let out a series of pleasured gasps. Her final cry evolved into a long, satisfied moan as he thrust into her one last time. Letting out a moan of his own, Luke felt himself release into her warmth before he collapsed on top of her._

" _Oh my god," Lorelai gasped, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "Oh my god, Luke, I…wow."_

" _Wow," he sighed as he pressed a soft kiss to her neck. They remained cuddled together for a few long moments before he rolled onto his back and pulled her with him. She laced their fingers together and trailed her free hand over his chest as she draped a leg over his. He smiled as he felt her rest her head on his shoulder, her damp hair clinging to his own sweat soaked skin._

" _You're really good at that," Lorelai murmured into his shoulder._

" _Back at you."_

 _He felt her smile. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're not big on post coital conversation," she speculated._

 _Debating whether he should start a bit, Luke simply sighed and squeezed her hand gently. "Want a play by play?" he asked gruffly._

" _Oh, good idea," Lorelai said. She tapped his arm and said, "Don't worry, Butch, I'll teach you all about dirty talk."_

" _I have no doubts about that," he sighed in mock exasperation._

" _And you can teach me stuff too," Lorelai promised. "I think we're going to be doing a lot of this."_

" _I hope so," Luke admitted._

" _Why, that's almost romantic," Lorelai sighed. "I'm really glad we're here."_

" _Me too."_

 _She kissed his shoulder and asked, "When can you come home?"_

" _Soon, I hope," Luke murmured. "Liz has an appointment on Tuesday."_

" _I don't want to go home without you."_

" _Someday, we'll come back here," Luke promised. "Have a real weekend together, without having to worry about separating or sisters with broken arms."_

" _I can't wait," Lorelai murmured._

 _Contemplating how far he should push her, Luke added, "And someday…maybe we can go to my family's cabin in Maine."_

" _I'd really like that," Lorelai whispered. "I'm happy, Luke."_

 _He turned to press a kiss to her forehead. "Good," he murmured. "That's all I want."_

Back in their car five years later, Luke glanced at Lorelai. "What do you think, beautiful girl?" he asked. "Worth it?"

She smiled and nodded. "Definitely," she admitted. "I love you."

He reached over to pat her leg affectionately. "Back at you," he said with a nod.


	16. Chapter 16

**I have to say that I am incredibly blown away by the messages and reviews I've been getting from you guys! I'm so glad that so many of you have liked it. Enjoy some lazy summer days in Maine!**

* * *

"Oh, thank God we're finally here," Lorelai exclaimed an hour and a half later as she stumbled out of the car and stretched her arms over her head. "Who knew road trips with a baby meant having to stop so often?"

"Don't even try to blame her," Luke called over his shoulder from where he was unstrapping Victoria from her car seat. "You're the one who insisted we stop for coffee four times."

"Only when I ran out," Lorelai argued. She watched as Victoria yawned and rested her head against Luke's chest. "Look, pretty girl, it's Daddy's cabin."

"Here, open the door," Luke requested, handing Lorelai the keys. "I have to turn the water and power on."

Lorelai nodded as she took both the keys and their daughter. "You know, you were here about a year ago," she said to Victoria. "As a tiny little grape inside of me." She unlocked the front door and smiled as she stepped inside. "We brought pictures of you to add to the wall," she said.

"Try the lights?" Luke shouted from outside, and Lorelai reached to flip a switch on in the kitchen.

"You're good!" she called.

A moment later Luke appeared with the parts of Victoria's travel crib in his hands. "Where should we put her?" he asked.

"In the spare room for now," she said. "We can move her into our room when Ethan and Rory get here on Wednesday."

Luke nodded and disappeared into the second bedroom as Lorelai walked Victoria around the cabin. She paused at the wall beside the kitchen, pointing out picture after picture. Decades before Luke's father had transferred pictures from their house in Stars Hollow to the cabin, and the previous summer Lorelai had added pictures of their wedding, Rory and April, and even an ultrasound of Victoria to the wall.

"See, that's your grandmother," Lorelai said, pointing to a picture of Luke and his mother. "The nice one, that you're named after. I'm sure she would have loved to be here with us."

"Okay, that's set," Luke said with a nod. "Should we put her down?"

Lorelai checked her watch. "She slept a lot in the car," she said. "Let's try to keep her up so she'll sleep tonight."

"Sounds fair," Luke nodded. "We could go for a walk around the lake, let her get some fresh air."

"That sounds perfect," Lorelai said. "Did you remember the sunscreen?"

"Yeah, we can stop at the car on the way out," Luke said. "I'll bring the rest of our bags in later."

Lorelai followed him to the porch and pulled the door closed behind her. "Do you remember the first time you came up here?" she asked curiously as he dug through Victoria's diaper bag.

"Not really," he said, retrieving the baby sunscreen and beginning to rub it over Victoria's arms. The baby made a face and tried to squirm away, but Lorelai kept a tight grip on her to allow Luke the best access possible. "I was pretty young."

"But didn't you build the cabin when you were a teenager?" Lorelai asked.

"We added the bedrooms, but the structure was already standing. It was smaller before that," Luke said. "A one room type of thing, with the kitchen and living area. We all slept in the same room."

"Very Abraham Lincoln of you," Lorelai commented.

Luke slathered the last of the sunscreen on Victoria's face before he reached to wipe the excess over Lorelai's nose. She squirmed away and he laughed. "Like mother, like daughter," he observed.

"Be nice, or I'm leaving the sexy pajamas in the car," Lorelai warned.

"Sorry," Luke said. He gestured to the lake and asked, "Shall we?"

Lorelai fell into step beside him and offered him a small smile as they walked. "I like seeing you up here," she said. "You seem more relaxed."

"Putting five hours between me and Kirk will do that," Luke confirmed.

"True," Lorelai said. She glanced over the lake and commented, "I think Rory's going to love it here. She'll have plenty of reading spots to choose from."

"April loves it," Luke confirmed. "When I brought her up, she was collecting all kinds of insect specimen."

Lorelai didn't respond, assuming said trip must have taken place during that dark period in her life. She held Victoria a little tighter and said a silent prayer of gratitude that things had worked out the way they had.

"You okay?" Luke asked as he looked at her carefully.

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded as she offered him a fake smile.

"Lorelai."

"Ugh, right, I should know you're not going to fall for that," she said. "I guess I'll always have a little resentment that she knew things about you before I did. It's stupid, I know."

"It's not stupid," Luke sighed. " _I_ was stupid."

"So was I," Lorelai said. "Victoria will know things, right? She's part of you, Luke. She has your mom's name."

"She'll know," Luke promised. "So will you. I'll answer any questions you have."

Lorelai nodded and then paused at a tree. She stepped closer and smiled as she ran the fingers of her free hand over the carved out bark. "Still here," he said.

Luke shook his head as he looked at the interlocking L's that he'd carved into the tree the summer before. "I still can't believe you convinced me to do that," he said.

"It's cute," Lorelai insisted. "Your parents thought so to." She pointed towards the W and V that were carved above their own initials.

"Whatever," Luke shrugged.

"We should tell Ethan and Rory to come out here," Lorelai said. "Keep tradition alive."

"Do you think she's really okay?" Luke asked. "She hasn't been herself since Friday."

"I know," Lorelai said. "She's got this idea about opening a school, which sounds incredible and fantastic in theory."

"But?" Luke prompted.

"But," Lorelai sighed. "She shouldn't give up this job in Boston. She hasn't even been there six months."

"I think it's her way to make a difference," Luke said. "She knows how lucky she was, and she wants to give other kids that chance."

"I did what I had to," Lorelai said with a shrug.

Luke nodded and reached for her free hand. "Rory's always done anything she put her mind to," he reminded her. "If this is what she wants, she can do it."

"I know," Lorelai said. "I just don't want her to have regrets. She's bigger than Stars Hollow."

"Maybe, but it's also her home," Luke said. "It may be an insane town, but it's not easy to leave."

"True," Lorelai conceded. "Rory will be fine, Luke. She's a strong girl."

Luke smiled as he looked down at Victoria. "We also have a sleepy girl," he said.

"Not used to all this exercise," Lorelai sighed. "I guess the no nap idea wasn't realistic."

"We can bring her back," Luke said. "I'll bring the bags in and we can unpack before dinner."

"Okay," Lorelai nodded. They took their time walking back, and when they reached the car, Luke started towards the trunk. As he lifted the hatch above his head, Lorelai called his name and he turned to her. She stepped closer, shifted Victoria onto her hip, and reached for his hand. "Do you remember our non-date date? In New Hampshire?"

"Like I could forget."

She smiled and stepped closer. "Five years later, I can't believe that I was ever nervous to be with you," she said. "Things were new and exciting, but this is so much better."

"Agreed," he nodded.

"Thanks," she whispered. "For bringing us here."

He kissed her and then squeezed her shoulder. "Get her inside and settled," he said. "We can have an afternoon beer."

"Breaking out the big guns now that she's eating solid foods at night?" Lorelai asked. "Does that make us irresponsible?"

"No, irresponsible would be Patty's punch," Luke replied. "We're just…relaxing."

"Sure, Butch," Lorelai said. She smiled as she walked towards the house. Leaning down to Victoria, she murmured, "I'll give you twenty bucks if that's your first word."

XXXXX

Two days later, Lorelai looked up from her book when she heard a car pulling up outside the house. With a smile, she set the book down and pulled a t-shirt over her bikini top before she walked around the porch to see Rory and Ethan standing in front of their car.

"Hey, you made it!" she said as she walked down the steps.

"This place is beautiful!" Rory exclaimed, looking around with wide eyes. "Where's Luke?"

"He ran into town," Lorelai said. "Diaper emergency."

"Got it," Rory nodded. She gave Lorelai a long hug and then stepped back to survey the house. "I can't believe Luke and his dad built this place!"

"From the ground up," Lorelai confirmed. "Well, Luke helped with the addition. His dad built the rest before he was born."

"Hi, Lorelai," Ethan said as he leaned in to offer her a kiss on the cheek. "Should we get our bags?"

"Might as well," Lorelai nodded. "Can I help?"

"Don't let her get the food," Rory warned Ethan.

He shot her a look. "Like there's any left after you were in the car for so long," he said.

"Guilty," Rory shrugged.

"You got it from me," Lorelai said proudly. She reached for a backpack and led them up the steps. "Victoria's asleep in our bedroom, so keep the noise to a dull roar," she requested.

"Wow," Rory breathed as they stepped into the cabin. A wall of windows was to their left, and beside the door was a large stone fireplace with a set of couches placed in front of it. To their right was a small galley kitchen, and Lorelai gestured to the two person table under a square window. "You can deposit any food here, we'll put it away later," she said. Leading them through the living room, she pointed to a door on the right. "Here's the bathroom, we're all sharing, so if you take up the hot water, I'll kill you."

"Same goes for you," Rory scoffed. Turning to Ethan, she said, "I could probably have been placed into the foster system if the state of Connecticut knew how many showers I took that lacked hot water growing up."

"Hey, be nice," Lorelai frowned. She pushed open a door in the corner of the room. "Here's your room. Enjoy the bunk beds," she added with a smirk.

"Oh, I call top!" Rory cried, scrambling into the room.

"Well, I can go ahead and tell Luke we don't need to replace these," Lorelai laughed as she watched Rory swing herself onto the top bunk.

"I always wanted bunk beds," Rory said. "It would have happened, too, if you hadn't waited forever to give me a sister."

"Yep, I failed on that account," Lorelai confirmed. "That's pretty much it, except for Luke's and my room. You know, which houses the king bed and Jacuzzi, along with a big screen TV and a full coffee bar."

"Nice try, but I know Luke," Rory called, already spread out with a book.

Lorelai shook her head and turned to Ethan. "She's always been easy to entertain," she confirmed.

"Good to know," Ethan said. "Can I help with anything?"

"Nope, you're here to relax," Lorelai confirmed. "Want anything to drink? Luke's going to cook dinner when he gets back, which should be any minute."

"Sure, thanks," Ethan said.

Lorelai peered up at the bunk bed. "Officially in book mode?" she asked Rory.

"Don't talk to me unless it involves Luke's burger."

"Fine," Lorelai said. She led Ethan into the living room and opened the fridge. "We've got coffee, water, milk, and lemonade," she reported. "Luke will be back with beer soon."

"Diapers and beer, huh?" Ethan asked with a smirk. "Interesting shopping list."

"One of the joys of being a parent," Lorelai said. "You should have seen the expression on his face when he had to buy tampons and diaper cream." Holding a glass of lemonade out to Ethan, she giggled and said, "Yep, it was pretty close to that."

Ethan shook his head and sipped his lemonade. "Guess I should get used to being embarrassed," he muttered.

"It's only because I like you," Lorelai said. "Want to go sit on the porch?"

"Sure," Ethan nodded. He followed Lorelai to the back door. She peeked into her bedroom for a moment and, seeing that Victoria was still sleeping soundly, stepped onto the porch. As they settled onto adjacent Adirondack chairs, Ethan said, "Thanks for inviting me up here."

"Hey, you're family now, mister," Lorelai said. "Where Rory's invited, you're invited."

"It means a lot," Ethan said. He sipped at his lemonade and said, "My mom died when I was really young."

"I know," Lorelai said sympathetically. "That must have been hard, growing up without her."

"Yeah, it was," Ethan said. "But these past few months, getting to know you, it's been…nice. Having a motherly figure in my life for the first time that I can remember."

Lorelai flushed at the compliment. "I'll do my best," she said. "Although the whole son in law thing still freaks me out a bit."

"I promise I won't ask for advice about how to pick up girls," Ethan said solemnly.

"Good," Lorelai said, narrowing her eyes.

"I'll go to Luke for that."

Lorelai laughed out loud. "Also not your best option," she said. "I love the man, but he's not exactly a casa nova. He kissed me for the first time in the middle of a fight."

"Knowing you two, that sounds about right," Ethan said.

"Yeah, I guess so," Lorelai said. She craned her neck when she heard the back door open, smiling as she saw her husband framed in the doorway. "Hey, handsome, successful trip?"

"All set," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Hey, Ethan."

"Hi, Luke."

"Where's Rory?" Luke asked.

"Already camped out with a book," Lorelai sighed. "We'll see her once she smells burgers."

"Is that a hint?"

"Have you met me?"

Luke sighed and ran a hand over his hat. "Want to fire up the grill?" he asked Ethan.

"Sure," Ethan nodded, following Luke down the steps to where the grill was resting beside the driveway.

Lorelai watched the men for a moment before she stood and walked into the house. She slipped into her bedroom, hating to wake Victoria from her afternoon nap, but also not wanting to be up all night with an over rested baby.

"Hi, sweet girl," she murmured as she lifted her daughter into her arms. "What do you say, how about we watch Daddy and Ethan cook dinner? Maybe you can even convince Rory to come play with you."

"I'm here," Rory said, and Lorelai turned to smile at her.

"Well, you decided to make it out of the book coma."

"For now," Rory said, reaching for Victoria. The baby rested a tired head against Rory's shoulder and sighed as she looked at Lorelai. "I think she's mad at you for waking her up."

Lorelai shrugged. "Put her back to sleep, but then you're responsible for staying up with her when she wants to play peek a boo all night long," she said.

"Sorry, baby sister, not happening," Rory said. She looked around the room and nodded approvingly. "It's nice in here."

"Yeah, it is," Lorelai nodded. "Your Daddy Luke is surprisingly good at decorating."

Rory pointed to the Hello Kitty clock that hung beside the mirror. "I'm sure you had nothing to do with that," she said.

Lorelai giggled. "Luke hates it, but I told him he needed _something_ to represent the fact that a female does, in fact, own half of this lovely habitat."

"Sure," Rory said. "Is he back yet?"

"Yep, he and Ethan are grilling out, drinking beer, and talking about us womenfolk," Lorelai said. "Want to feed Victoria? She loves you more than me."

"Sure," Rory said as she followed Lorelai into the living room. She sat down at the table and balanced Victoria in her lap as Lorelai began pulling jars of baby food out of the fridge. "How's she doing with the real people food?"

"Pretty good," Lorelai confirmed. "She likes the squash the best, but she'll tolerate carrots and peas. She hates the spinach and bananas."

Rory made a face. "Don't blame her for that," she said.

"Me neither," Lorelai said. "She's still adjusting to the whole formula thing though. She hasn't quite figured out that I'm only available for breakfast these days."

Making a face, Rory watched as Victoria tugged at her purple t-shirt. "I think she's pretty desperate if she thinks I can offer her anything," she said.

Lorelai laughed. "Instinct, I guess," she said. "Here."

Rory focused on fastening the bib around Victoria's neck and then settled her into the high chair. "Did you bring this up with you?"

"No, we bought it in town and we'll leave it here," Lorelai said. "We figured we might as well have one here, for when we come up with her and anyone else who might come along."

"Anyone else?" Rory asked, accepting the plastic spoon from Lorelai. "Any news you need to share?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes as she sat down across from Rory. "I'm not pregnant," she said. "Luke would be dead."

"Don't you want more kids?" Rory asked curiously.

"Maybe," Lorelai said. "But not yet. She's too little."

"True," Rory nodded. She offered Victoria a bite of squash and smiled as her sister happily accepted it. "She's a good eater."

Lorelai smiled proudly. "She's a Gilmore!"

XXXXX

"Okay, Victoria's asleep, I've got the baby monitor monitoring, we can officially let loose," Lorelai announced hours later as she stepped to the fire pit. Ethan and Rory were hovering together on a bench, and Luke was crouching beside the logs, trying to kindle the fire to a healthy glow.

"I hope you're thinking what I'm thinking," Rory piped up.

"If you're thinking chocolately, marshmallowy goodness, then yes, darling daughter, I am," Lorelai said. She held up a bag of marshmallows and a package of chocolate in the other. "Who wants s'mores?"

"Me! Me! Pick me!" Rory cried.

"Okay, you win the prize for most enthusiastic," Lorelai confirmed. "Cool Hand?"

"Where are the graham crackers?" Luke asked as he stood.

Lorelai turned to look at Rory. "He thinks we need graham crackers," she stated.

"Amateur," Rory rolled her eyes.

"You can't have s'mores without graham crackers!" Luke insisted.

"It will be too messy otherwise," Ethan added.

"See, this is why girl power is a thing," Lorelai explained to Rory. "Us women don't need graham crackers to slow us down."

"Lorelai," Luke warned.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Just thinking preemptively," Luke muttered. "I can tell you're about to do something insane."

Lorelai ignored him and handed Rory a stick. "Stick."

"Stick," Rory repeated.

"Marshmallow."

"Marshmallow," Rory accepted it and both girls attached the marshmallow to the end of their roasting stick.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Lorelai tapped her marshmallow against Rory's and they both leaned over to hold their sticks over the fire. "The key is to rotate the marshmallow at a slow and steady rate," Rory called over her shoulder to Ethan.

"I didn't ask," he retorted.

"If you hold it in one place, you'll burn one side and the other side will be undercooked."

"I know how to roast a marshmallow."

"Obviously not, if you think you need graham crackers," Lorelai chimed in. She nudged Rory and asked, "How are we doing?"

"Prepare the chocolate."

Lorelai handed Rory her stick and ripped open the package of chocolate and broke two bars in half. She held out her hands and requested, "Hit me."

Rory promptly rested a marshmallow on the piece of chocolate in each of Lorelai's hands, then dropped the sticks and flipped another piece of chocolate on top. Luke and Ethan watched in astonishment as Lorelai and Rory each devoured their sugary treats at a surprisingly fast speed.

"I'm marrying into this," Ethan muttered to Luke.

"I _bred_ into this," Luke countered.

With a shake of his head, Ethan admitted, "Life wouldn't be the same without them."

"That's for sure," Luke replied.

"What are you two gossiping about?" Lorelai asked as she sat down beside Luke.

He made a face as he looked at her. "Get away from me, you're covered in chocolate," he grumbled.

"Wasted chocolate?" Lorelai gasped. "Where?"

He reached out to swipe his finger over her chin and nodded. "There."

Even in the firelight her eyes were sparkling as she said, "Give me your finger."

Luke hated the fact that the first word that he thought in reaction to her command was _dirty._ She certainly was rubbing off on him. "No." He glanced towards Ethan and Rory, who were whispering quietly to each other.

"Fine," she sighed as she snuggled closer. "For July, it's pretty cold."

With a frown, Luke wrapped his arm around her. "Want me to go get a blanket?" he asked.

"Nope, you'll do fine," Lorelai replied. She rested a hand on his knee and smiled softly. "Remember the Firelight Festival?"

"Which one?" he asked.

"The one the year after we started dating," Lorelai replied. "You gave me a bracelet to match my necklace and earrings."

"I remember," Luke nodded. He trailed his fingers over her wrist, which now housed the diamond bracelet he'd given her after she'd given birth to Victoria. "That was the first time I told you I loved you."

Chills ran down Lorelai's spine. "I'll never forget that," she whispered. "I couldn't believe it at first."

"Yeah, I wasn't great at saying things back then."

"Preaching to the choir," Lorelai whispered. "I could have said it more too."

"You said it back that night."

"And I meant it," Lorelai promised. "But I probably would have taken a lot longer if I hadn't been prompted."

Luke covered her hand with his. "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled. "See, look how easy that is now."

"Not too shabby," Luke confirmed. He leaned in to kiss her softly. "When did you know?" he asked.

Lorelai thought for a moment. "You want the truth?" she asked.

"Yes," Luke said dubiously.

"Do you remember when my oven was broken and you fixed it?"

"Which time?"

Lorelai nudged him playfully. "After you started staying over," she said. "And I was on the phone with Rory, you kept doing this bit about hitting your head on the oven…"

"It wasn't a bit."

"She told me that I sounded happy, and I told her I was," Lorelai replied. "Anyway, you fixed the oven, or at least I assume you did because you started cooking with it, and I spent the next couple days thinking about Rory's comment. I was happy, and it was because of you. That's when I started to realize that I was falling in love with you. When you said it a couple weeks later, I knew for sure."

Luke nodded. "I knew when you started staying over at my place," he said. "Even on the nights I had to go to bed early, you said you didn't want to stay apart, and I realized that you were actually invested in the relationship, that it wasn't just a passing thing. You wanted to be with _me."_

"I did," Lorelai confirmed. "I do."

He patted her leg. "Well, it's good you still feel that way," he nodded. "Cause I'm not letting you go."

"Back at you, burger boy," she said before she leaned in to kiss him.

XXXXX

"This may be the most relaxed I've ever been," Rory stated the following afternoon as she and Lorelai lay side by side in the hammock Luke had hooked between two trees beside the lake.

"Amen, sister," Lorelai said, tapping her coffee cup against Rory's. She lifted her head to look at Victoria, who was sitting happily on a blanket beside the hammock. The baby looked up at Lorelai and beamed, who offered her a smile in return. "I think she agrees."

"She is the smartest baby in the world," Rory stated.

"She has good genes."

Rory smiled as she looked out to the large lake before them. "Do you think Luke's being nice to Ethan?" she asked.

"He got over his protective dad streak a long time ago," Lorelai promised.

"Ethan's never been fishing before," Rory reminded her mother.

"You're forgetting that Luke once taught me to fish," Lorelai said. "I'm sure Ethan's way easier to teach than I was."

"You were only in it for the fashion," Rory said. "I had to shower at Lane's for a week before that stupid fish died."

Lorelai gasped. "Excuse me, how many fish have you caught in your lifetime?" she demanded.

"None, and I prefer to keep it that way," Rory said firmly.

"Probably a wise choice," Lorelai conceded. She set the hammock into motion again and the two basked in the quiet summer afternoon for a long moment.

When she heard tires approaching the cabin a few minutes later, Lorelai frowned and sat up. Rory did the same, placing a foot on the ground to keep the hammock from tumbling over. "Who is that?" she asked.

"I don't know, Luke never said anything about neighbors or anything," Lorelai said.

Rory gripped Lorelai's arm. "You don't think Grandma found us, do you?" she asked.

"I wouldn't put anything past her," Lorelai muttered. She stood and scooped Victoria into her arms before she cautiously approached the driveway. When she saw Liz climbing out of the passenger side of the car parked behind Rory's, Lorelai rolled her eyes and relaxed. "Liz!" she cried.

"It's my favorite sister in law!" Liz cried, holding her arms out to Lorelai.

Offering her a one armed hug, Lorelai asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Just visiting my favorite brother and his family," Liz replied. "He told me he was coming up here, and I was telling TJ how great it would be to take a break from the faire and come visit!"

Lorelai glanced behind Liz to TJ. "Hey, TJ," she said.

"Lorelai!" he said, giving her a once over. "Looking hot!"

Rory coughed to stifle her laughter, and Lorelai shot her a glare as Liz turned to help Doula out of the car. "Not funny," she muttered.

"It's a little funny," Rory insisted.

"Be nice, or I'll send him to you."

Rory sobered immediately.

"Don't worry, we're just stopping by on our way to Ogunquit," Liz said. "We figured we'd say hi, and I could show the kids Daddy's place."

Lorelai smiled warmly. "Of course," she said. She sometimes forgot that Liz was just as emotionally tied to this place as Luke was. As the more responsible sibling, he'd taken over the maintenance and costs of the cabin, but Liz had formed just as many childhood memories here as he had. "He's out on the lake, but feel free to explore a little. We've got snacks too."

TJ approached Liz, holding Henry out to her at arms' length. "Diaper emergency," he announced.

"We'll be right back," Liz said, guiding her family into the house.

Rory smirked as Lorelai inhaled a stressed breath. "Exactly how mad is Luke going to be when he realizes they're here?" she asked.

Lorelai wrapped her free arm around Rory's shoulders. "Remember the time Paris came to Stars Hollow and you two ended up in the Founders' Day Punch?" she asked. "Then the next day she insisted she was fine but had to pull over to puke on the steps to the diner?"

"I wish I didn't," Rory winced.

"Well, this may look that day look like a day in Disney World," Lorelai said.

Rory pointed to Victoria. "Should I take her and make a run for it?" she asked.

"Only if you'll take me with you," Lorelai pleaded.

"Sorry, the ring means things," Rory pointed to Lorelai's left hand.

"Well then so does that ring," Lorelai pointed towards Rory's own engagement ring. "If I can't leave Luke here, you can't leave Ethan."

Rory frowned. "I should have thought this through better," she said.

"Here," Lorelai said, shoving Victoria towards Rory. "Take her and stall while I tell Luke. I'll try to slip in some dirty thoughts so he's distracted."

"Mom!" Rory cried. "Gross."

Lorelai laughed as she walked down to the dock where Luke and Ethan were tying the rowboat to a post. "Hey, sailors, catch anything good?" she asked.

"Not today," Luke shrugged. "Better luck tomorrow."

"There are other fish in the sea," Lorelai said supportively. "Or the lake or whatever." She shook her head and turned to Ethan. "Hey, Rory's been left alone in the house with the snacks. Make sure she doesn't steal all my Pop Tarts?"

Ethan laughed and nodded before he started towards the house. Lorelai tilted her head to the side as she watched Luke lean down to make sure the ropes were secure. "Hmm, love the view," she commented.

"Would you stop, it's the middle of the day," Luke informed her.

"Hasn't stopped us before," Lorelai said. "Want to take the boat out and see how many dirty things we can do without flipping it over?"

Luke sighed and straightened, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at her suspiciously. "What's with you?" he asked.

Lorelai placed a hand on his arm. "I need you to stay calm," she said.

"Lorelai, what did you do?"

" _I_ didn't do anything," she said defensively. " _You_ told your sister we were here."

Luke tensed immediately. "What does that mean?" he asked. Lorelai bit her lip and looked at the ground, not responding immediately. "Lorelai, what does that mean?"

"LizandTJareinsidewiththekids." Lorelai cringed as she anticipated his reaction.

"What?" Luke shouted. He turned towards the cabin and demanded, "They're here, now? In the house, with our kids?"

"Relax, Luke, it's not like they're going to hurt them," Lorelai said.

"I told Liz we were going to be here so she _wouldn't_ show up unexpectedly," Luke said, working himself into a good old fashioned rant. Lorelai suddenly regretted sending Rory inside; her oldest daughter was by far the best at counting the different shades of red Luke reached as he ranted. "She can't just show up her with her kids and her idiotic husband, ruining _our_ weekend," Luke continued. "I'm the one who takes care of the place, I pay the bills and make sure it doesn't burn down every winter. I pay the taxes on this place. Me!" He pointed at his chest for extra emphasis.

"I'm sorry, who is it who owns this place again?" Lorelai asked sarcastically.

"Are you being cute?" Luke asked.

"I like to think I'm always cute."

"You know when it's not the time to make jokes?" Luke demanded. "Now! Now is not the time to make jokes. They're going to try to chase us out, but I'm not going to let them. She could have chosen any other week to come down here, but she had to choose now. She did this on purpose, just to mess with me."

"I think she just wanted to visit with her brother," Lorelai said meekly.

"She lives five minutes away!" Luke cried. "We see her all the time, especially when she needs someone to watch those kids of hers!"

"Luke," Lorelai tugged on his arm. "What's the big deal? She's your sister. I get that it's unexpected, but you're overreacting even compared to what I was picturing in my head. What's the deal?"

Luke sighed and took a deep breath, calming slightly. "I hate that she feels like she can just come in and ruin our family weekend," he admitted.

"Hon, she's your sister," Lorelai reminded him. "She is family."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Luke scrutinized her carefully. "I'm curious how you're going to react when I tell you that your parents just pulled up," he stated.

Lorelai's eyes widened and she whirled around to face the driveway. Seeing no new cars, she turned back to Luke and smacked his arm. "So not funny."

"They're your parents, they're family," he mocked.

"Ugh, I hate you," Lorelai frowned.

Luke sighed and reached for her. "I was just looking forward to this," he murmured. "Us and Rory and Victoria. Of course I wish April was here, but it was going to be nice and peaceful, just the five of us. Now we have to deal with TJ. The man who put a whole in our bedroom window."

"They're not spending the night, it's just dinner," Lorelai tried to comfort.

"Yeah, right," Luke scoffed. "I know my sister. She'll convince everyone how fun it will be to have a sleepover, and pretty soon we're sleeping on the living room floor while TJ takes over our bed. And then tomorrow I burn it, because I'd rather walk through the fires of hell than sleep in the same bed TJ's ever slept in."

Lorelai made a face. "Okay, well, how about we have a nice dinner and then I suddenly come down with a fever?" she suggested.

"Or I kill TJ."

"If you kill TJ, you go to jail," Lorelai said. "I wouldn't expect any conjugal visits."

Luke huffed, hanging his head to look at the ground. "Fine," he said. "But the second he locks himself in the bathroom, I'm done being calm."

"Yes, because you've been the picture of tranquility so far," Lorelai said. She stepped closer and patted his arm. "Don't worry, you can make me a cheesecake to calm down."

"How kind of you to offer," he said dryly.

She smiled as they began walking towards the house. "You're still the only man who's ever made me a cheesecake," she said.

"Good," Luke offered her a small side smile.

"I have had several chuppahs made for me though," Lorelai continued. "So don't get too cocky there, Butch."

"Not likely with TJ around," Luke muttered.

Lorelai sighed as she trudged up the path, deciding it was probably best not to mention how TJ had greeted her to Luke.

XXXXX

"Hey, big brother."

Luke looked over his shoulder towards his sister's voice later that evening. "Hey, sis," he acknowledged, straightening to look at her carefully. "Strange to be back here, huh?"

"A little," Liz sighed, leaning against the railing. She looked out over the lake, sparkling in the sunset, and then shaking her head slightly. "Remember the time Daddy got all the way into the middle of the lake and I told him I had to use the bathroom?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "People wonder where I got my ranting capabilities," he shook his head. "He made you stay on land while he and I went out."

"But later he took me out for ice cream to make up for yelling," Liz confirmed. "God, I miss him."

"Me too," Luke sighed, resting his elbows against the railing. "He would have loved to have been here, to see this."

Liz nodded sadly. "We've done okay," she said. "We've certainly made our fair share of mistakes, both of us, but I think we've had more successes than failures."

Luke turned to look through the window into the cabin, watching as Lorelai raised Victoria over her head, bouncing the baby in her arms and causing her legs and arms to flail with delight. Rory laughed beside her, and reached out to tickle Victoria's foot gently. "I think so too," he agreed. He turned back to Liz and asked, "How's Jess?"

"He's good," Liz confirmed with a smile. "I saw him when we drove through Portsmouth, he was promoting his company's newest book there. He's sorry he hasn't made it through Stars Hollow to see Victoria yet."

"Ah, he's busy," Luke said dismissively, waving a hand through the air.

"He misses you," Liz said. "He asks about you every time I talk to him."

"I did my best," Luke shrugged. "I don't know how much I helped, but make sure he knows he can come to me. If he ever needs anything."

"He knows," Liz confirmed. She nudged his shoulder and then straightened. "We should get going. We've got to open the fair tomorrow."

"You sure you'll be okay driving this late?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, we're used to it," Liz confirmed. "Thanks for letting us stop in. I know you were looking forward to this time with Lorelai and Rory."

"It's okay, you've got memories here too," Luke nodded. "If you want to come back after the fair closes down for the season, you should. We can work out a schedule."

Liz reached to kiss his cheek. "Thanks, big brother," she said. "I'll let you know. Hey, if you want to stop by the faire on your way home, Lorelai would love it."

Luke sighed wearily. As much as he'd hated his summer with his sister's renaissance friends, he did know that Lorelai would enjoy it. Especially since the mocking potential was extraordinarily high. "I'll let you know," he repeated her words.

"TJ and the kids are already in the car," Liz said. "We'll get out of your hair now."

Luke gave her an affectionate hug before he watched her walk towards the driveway, offering him a small wave before she disappeared around the corner of the house. Luke turned to walk inside, settling onto the couch beside Ethan.

"They get off okay?" Lorelai called from her spot on the floor.

"Finally," Luke grumbled.

Ethan shook his head slightly. "That TJ is a character," he said. "I'd pay good money to see him in the same room as Emily."

"At Mom and Luke's wedding, TJ offered to become Grandma's cobbler," Rory piped up. "Grandma thought he was an escapee from the asylum."

"Does Stars Hollow have an asylum?" Ethan asked.

"Whole damn town's an asylum," Luke muttered.

"Okay, grumpy, snap out of it," Lorelai requested. "Want some baby time before she has to go down?"

Luke reached for Victoria and smiled as she laughed up towards him. "She doesn't seem tired," he commented as he settled her onto his lap.

"That's because of all the coffee I gave her," Lorelai stated.

"That joke will never be funny," Luke informed her.

"Someday you'll change your mind," Lorelai shrugged.

"Doubtful."

"But not impossible," Lorelai said. "I've been known to accomplish the impossible, you know. I managed to help you evade that serial killer life of yours."

"Serial killer life?" Rory frowned.

"You remember," Lorelai said. "Living alone, never leaving the diner, yelling at everyone who talked to him?"

"He never yelled at us."

"Wrong, he never yelled at _you,"_ Lorelai replied.

"That's because I'm adorable and lovable," Rory nodded. "You called him Duke just to make him mad."

Lorelai gasped. "You're the one who came up with the game of counting his varying shades of anger," she recalled.

Luke rolled his eyes and stood, settling Victoria onto his hip. "We don't have to listen to this," he announced.

"Aw, Luke, come back!" Lorelai called as he walked towards their bedroom.

"We'll be nice, we promise!" Rory added.

Luke gestured to Victoria with his free hand. "She needs a diaper change," he informed them.

Rory made a face and Lorelai settled against the back of the couch. "Eh, all you then," she waved a nonchalant hand towards him.

Luke made quick work of changing Victoria's diaper and dressing her in her summer pajamas before he returned to the living room. Rory had migrated to the couch and was curled up with a book, and Ethan was doing the same. Lorelai had disappeared, but he could hear water running in the kitchen.

"All clean?" Rory asked as she looked up at Luke.

"All clean," he confirmed. "Want to read to her before she goes down?"

Rory's eyes lit up and she set her own book aside. "Always," she said. She stood and took Victoria, cradling her carefully in her arms. "What do you think, baby sister? Are we in a Dr. Seuss or a Shel Silverstein kind of mood?"

Luke shook his head as he watched Rory settle back down onto the couch with a copy of _Green Eggs and Ham._ Victoria loved snuggling up to whoever was reading to her, and Luke knew that Rory hoped to pass along her love of reading to her younger sister. Whenever she was around for Victoria's bedtime, both Luke and Lorelai deferred the reading to Rory.

"Hey," he said as he leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen, watching Lorelai finish washing the dishes.

"Hey, you," she said. "Victoria go down okay?"

"Rory's reading to her," Luke replied.

Lorelai shut the water off and reached for a towel to dry her hands. She leaned against the counter to regard him carefully, then said, "I love that baby, but I wish we didn't have to share our room with her tonight. You're looking especially lust worthy, Danes."

Luke smirked and tugged at the end of his flannel. "This old thing?" he asked.

She giggled and sauntered towards him. She ran her fingers over his cheeks and murmured, "I think it's the scruff. Definitely working for me."

He leaned down to kiss her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he pulled her closer. She responded eagerly, begging for entrance to his mouth with her tongue, but he pulled back slightly. "The kids are in the next room," he murmured. "Don't start what we can't finish."

With a sigh, Lorelai stepped back. "You're right," she sighed. She turned to the table and reached for the extra paper goods they'd set out for dinner. As she leaned over to stash them under the sink, Luke saw her jeans highlighting all of her perfect curves.

"Let's go for a walk," he heard himself say.

Lorelai straightened and turned to look at him, surprised. "A walk?" she repeated.

"Yeah, just around the lake," he replied. "Moonlight, water…you like that romantic crap."

"You're selling it very well," she said. "Would this be like that 'walk' we took away from the 4th of July Festival two years ago?"

He reached out to run a finger across the strip of skin exposed between her shirt and jeans. "Would you complain if it was?" he asked.

Lorelai's body shuddered in reaction to his touch. "Definitely not," she murmured.

"Then let's go."

"You could at least try to be romantic about it," Lorelai requested.

"Do you want to go or not?"

Lorelai looked at him for a moment before she reached for his arm. "Let's go," she said.

They walked into the living room, where Rory was still reading to Victoria. Ethan had set his own book aside and was watching the scene unfold him with a fond smile, his fingers idly playing with Rory's hair.

"Hey, we're going to go for a walk," Lorelai said gently when Rory paused the story. "Think you can get her into her bed?"

"You're going for a walk?" Rory asked questionably. "It's nearly dark out."

"Oh, you know Luke, he kept going on and on about how romantic the moonlight is," Lorelai replied. "We won't be long."

"We'll get her to bed," Ethan nodded. "She's almost asleep anyways."

"Thanks," Luke said, running his fingers over Victoria's soft brown hair.

"We'll be back soon," Lorelai promised, crouching to press a kiss to the top of Victoria's head and then kiss Rory's cheek.

Rory eyed them both suspiciously, and her eyes widened as Lorelai offered her a knowing smirk. "Ew," she muttered before she turned back to the story.

"Okay, we've got to be fast," Lorelai said as she dragged Luke down to the lake.

"Weren't you just preaching about romance?" Luke asked as he followed her towards the dock.

"So?" she asked.

"So there's nothing romantic about one of us tripping and cracking our heads open," Luke muttered.

"Oh, calm down, we're both fine," Lorelai rolled her eyes. She reached the edge of the dock and grabbed the hem of her shirt, starting to pull it over her head.

"What are you doing?" Luke hissed, grabbing her arm to stop her.

"Uh, getting naked," Lorelai said. "Did you have a different plan in mind?"

Luke tugged her shirt back down. "The sun's not down yet, there are people around," he said.

"Ah, still not up for the exhibitionist thing yet," Lorelai nodded understandingly.

"Or ever."

Lorelai frowned. "Some day I'll at least get you on board with the video taping idea," she said.

"Don't hold your breath," Luke muttered.

Sitting down on the edge of the dock, Lorelai let her feet dangle over the water. "Luke?" she asked.

"Yeah?" He sat down beside her.

"Are you sad, being here?" she asked. "Missing your parents?"

Luke sighed and reached out to pat her knee. "A little," he admitted.

"Do you wish we'd named Victoria something different?" she asked.

"No," he said quickly. "Not at all. My mom would have loved it."

"Good," Lorelai whispered. "I worry sometimes, especially when we're here or I see you looking at the pictures of your parents we have at our house. That you can't fully be happy because you miss them."

Luke traced a gentle finger over her thigh. "You know, with my mom, it was so awful," he said. "She was there one minute, asking me about hockey practice and the next, she was…gone. I walked out of the car just fine, and she was gone."

Lorelai rested her head on his shoulder. "I can't imagine how awful that was," she said. "I hate thinking that you went through that."

"With my dad," Luke continued. "It was different. I was alone in taking care of him, and it was horrible to see him get so sick. But at least we got to say the things we wanted to say. He told me to find someone who would understand me, who would pull me out of my cranky moods and make me have fun. Even back then I'd shut down already, I guess. He told me to hang onto this place, that I could bring my family here one day and make new memories with them."

"I'm glad you listened," Lorelai murmured. "I wish I could have met him."

"Me too," Luke sighed. "He would have loved you. Wondered how the hell I'd managed to land you."

"It's only because of your coffee," Lorelai teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Always suspected as much."

"Yes, not having to pay for food at Luke's has really increased my shoe budget," Lorelai confirmed.

"Like you ever paid."

"Excuse me, I always paid," Lorelai said. "At first with money, and then in a different form, which you seemed to like more."

Luke smiled as he leaned back to look at her. "Yeah, I definitely don't mind that other form," he said.

"How about I pay you back for making me dinner?" Lorelai asked, swinging a leg over his so she straddled his. Luke immediately wrapped his arms around her, interlocking his hands behind her back to prevent her from falling into the water. "Dark enough for you yet?"

Luke nodded as he leaned forward to kiss her deeply. Once she'd pulled back, he nodded towards her torso and requested, "Lose the shirt."

"Shirt for a shirt," she requested as her fingers reached for the buttons on his flannel.

"God you're a lot of work," Luke muttered.

Lorelai smirked in response and shoved him onto his back. "Well, then, Cool Hand, allow me to do all the work tonight," she purred.

With a grin, Luke gripped her hips tightly and leaned back, enjoying his view.

XXXXX

Hours later, Lorelai turned over in bed to look at the clock. Seeing that it was nearly six, she sighed in relief with the knowledge that she still had a few precious hours to sleep. Victoria, however, had another plan, and began to whimper from the travel crib in the corner.

"Ugh, you're so your father's daughter," Lorelai muttered. She turned over in preparation to nudge Luke awake, but frowned when she saw that his side of the bed was empty. A piece of paper was resting on his pillow and she squinted to read it in the light of the rising sun.

 _Ran to get danishes from town. Love, Luke_

"Danishes," Lorelai muttered. "I'd rather let him parent our kid at 6 AM than eat a Danish."

Victoria's whimpers turned to soft cries, and Lorelai sighed. "I'm coming, baby." She slid out of bed and pulled on one of Luke's flannels before she reached over to pick her daughter up. "You had to get Mommy's late night gene and Daddy's early morning one," she said. "Why aren't you ever tired?"

Victoria responded with a string of babbles, and Lorelai sighed. "Well, if we're awake we're definitely going to need coffee," she said. She shuffled to the kitchen and smiled when she saw that there was already a pot brewing, with a mug resting beside it.

 _Figured you'd want this if Victoria wakes you up._

"Daddy knows me well," Lorelai said, reaching to pour herself a cup of coffee. She then turned to the picture window, where she could see the sun beginning to peek over the water. "Let's go sit outside."

She walked towards the back door and pushed it open, pausing when she saw Rory already sitting on the porch steps, cradling her own cup of coffee. "Hey, sweets, I didn't expect to see you up so early."

Rory turned her head in surprise. "You either," she said.

"Your sister is her father's daughter," Lorelai confirmed as she settled beside Rory.

"Well, she had to get something from Luke," Rory speculated.

"I suppose," Lorelai said. She sipped her coffee and asked, "What brings you up so early?"

Rory blushed slightly. "I'm still not exactly used to Ethan snoring," she said.

"Ah," Lorelai nodded. "That took awhile for me too."

"How'd you do it?" Rory asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "I spent a long time resenting Luke for it," she said. "But then…well, I got used to it, and I missed it when he was gone. Then we got back together and it was almost comforting, like a reassurance that he was still there."

Rory nodded. "That's kind of sweet," she said.

"Well, that's me and Luke," Lorelai said. "Kind of sweet, in our own quirky way. But it works for us."

"Yeah, it does," Rory said. She took a long sip of coffee and said, "I've loved being here with you guys so much."

"I've loved it too," Lorelai said. "No matter how much changes, I'll never stop missing you in my day to day life."

Rory reached out to hold Victoria's hand in her own. "You've got a newer version to keep you busy," she said.

"Never," Lorelai said. "You know that, Rory."

"Yeah, I do." Rory was quiet for a long moment as she stared at the lake. "I'm scared I won't be a good mother."

Lorelai's eyebrows shot up. "Anything you need to tell Mommy?" she asked.

"No!" Rory said quickly. "I'm not pregnant."

Lorelai relaxed. "Okay," she said. "I guess it is very Rory of you to freak out about something ages before it happens."

"If it happens," Rory murmured. "I know it's what we're supposed to do, but Ethan and I have talked about it. Neither one of us are sure that it's what we want."

"You don't have to be sure of anything now," Lorelai said. "You've got time, Rory. Look at me, still popping them out at forty."

"There was quite a hiatus though," Rory pointed out.

"True."

"Promise me one thing?" Rory asked.

"Anything."

"That we'll avoid a Father of the Bride part two scenario at all costs."

Lorelai made a face. "Ugh, definitely," she said. "The second you tell me you're pregnant, I'll send Luke to get snipped."

Now it was Rory's turn to make a face. "Gross, Mom."

"Sorry," Lorelai said. "Who would have thought after that first ice skating trip that we'd be here, in Luke's cabin, with a couple new additions to our family."

"I did," Rory admitted.

"Yes, I know, you thought we were dating," Lorelai rolled her eyes. "I remember."

Rory reached over to press a kiss to Victoria's head. "I always knew you'd make pretty babies," she said. "I used to think about it, sometimes. But then you started dating other guys and I realized that Luke was just a friend."

"I had no idea," Lorelai sighed. She tilted her head towards Rory. "You've always been the smart one."

"You've always been the fun one."

Lorelai wrapped her arm around Rory's shoulders. "And that's why we make an excellent team, us Gilmores," she said.

"That we do," Rory confirmed. "Who do you think Victoria will be?"

Lorelai contemplated. "Maybe the humble one," she said. "She is Luke's daughter."

"True, and you are _definitely_ not humble," Rory replied.

"I just like people to realize how special I am," Lorelai said with a scoff.

"I've noticed." Rory rested her head on Lorelai's shoulder and used her free hand to play with Victoria's fingers. "What should I do about Grandma and Grandpa?"

Lorelai pressed a kiss to the top of Rory's head. "That's your call, hon," she said. "They were pretty harsh last time we saw them."

"I don't want to cut them out," Rory admitted. "But I don't want them to control my life either."

"Maybe you can tell them that," Lorelai suggested. "I know I'm their biggest disappointment, but they did come around to the idea of Luke, eventually. Hopefully they'll come around to the idea of Ethan."

"I hope so."

"You'll figure it out, kid, you always do," Lorelai said.

"Thanks, Mom."

"It's my job," Lorelai confirmed. "I still maintain what I've always said…you're the best thing I've ever done."

Rory blushed. "You've done a lot of wonderful things," she said.

"True," Lorelai confirmed. "It's pretty much neck and neck between you and my ability to apply lipstick flawlessly while holding a squirming baby."

"I'll have to get another degree to secure my place at the top."

"Just make sure it's not from a peasant school like Harvard," Lorelai said in a dead on impression of her mother.

Rory laughed and straightened, turning to look at Lorelai with sparkling eyes. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Rory," Lorelai murmured, smoothing her hair back from her face. "You have no idea how much."

Leaning down to Victoria, Rory whispered softly, "We're lucky girls, baby sister, because we ended up with the best mother in the entire world."

Lorelai wrapped her arm tighter around Rory's shoulders, and together they fell into silence as they watched the sun slowly rise over the lake.


	17. Chapter 17

**Well, here we are, at the end of this story. I want to thank all of you who have stuck by and are still reading. It's been a real adventure writing this, but it's time for it to come to an end. Thanks for reading and letting me know your thoughts, it's appreciated so much!**

 **Please enjoy _my_ version of full circle!**

* * *

A soft whimper came over the baby monitor, causing Lorelai to let out a frustrated moan from under her pillow.

"The baby's crying," Luke muttered from beside her.

"Uh huh, and what are you going to do about it?" Lorelai asked, peering out at him.

"Hope it's a false alarm."

Lorelai scoffed. "Good plan," she said.

Luke tugged the pillow off of her head and pulled her closer. "Listen," he requested.

Lorelai tilted her head to the side and heard a soft snore come over the monitor. "Well, thanks for passing those genes down," she said.

"I should get up," Luke muttered, but made no move to do so. "Get breakfast made before I have to go to work."

"No, stay," Lorelai replied, snuggling closer. "It's warm and safe here. No crazy townies or kids to parent."

"You love those kids."

"True, but I also love being here with you." Lorelai rolled on top of him, letting her bare legs stretch out along the worn material of his sweatpants. "I'll make it worth your while."

Luke's eyes glazed over as he ran his hands over her thighs, inching under the flannel she wore. "Exactly how worth it are we talking?" he asked.

Lorelai grinned as she leaned down, her lips hovering over his. Just as she was about to kiss him, their bedroom door creaked open. Lorelai immediately rolled onto her back and saw large blue eyes peering at them from the foot of the bed. "Mommy, the baby's crying."

"He stopped, honey," Lorelai said, sitting up. "Go back to sleep."

"Daddy, why are you still asleep? You said we'd make breakfast."

Lorelai turned to glare at Luke. "You're encouraging this early morning wake up nonsense?" she asked.

Luke ignored her and sat up as well. "Come lie with us for a bit, Victoria," he requested, swinging her into the bed.

Victoria giggled as she settled into a spot between Luke and Lorelai. She kicked her feet under the covers and then snuggled into Luke's side. "Why aren't we making breakfast?" she asked.

"We will, sweetheart," he promised. "Just give it a few minutes."

"Go back to sleep, both of you," Lorelai commanded as she flopped back against the pillows.

Victoria looked at Lorelai over her shoulder before she whispered to Luke, "Is Mommy cranky?"

"Your brother was up a lot last night," Luke explained. "Mom had to feed him."

"Why can't _you_ feed him?"

Luke's eyes widened and Lorelai smirked at him. "Bet you wish she'd gotten my sleep late gene now, don't you, Butch?" she asked.

"Oh, listen, he's crying," Luke said, quickly rolling out of bed. "I'll get him!"

Lorelai pulled Victoria closer and offered her a hand in a high five. "Three shades of red, very impressive for such a little girl," she said. "Rory will be very proud."

"When can I sleep over at Rory's again?" Victoria asked.

"We'll have to ask her, baby," Lorelai said. She paused as the door opened and Luke stepped in, their son cradled in his arms. "Oh, look, it's the two most handsome men in the world!"

"He has a nice fresh diaper," Luke reported as he sat down on the bed.

Lorelai smiled as she leaned over and pressed a kiss to her six month old son's head. "That was very nice of Daddy to change your diaper," she murmured.

"Connor, you woke me up," Victoria said, kneeling and placing a hand on Luke's arm as she peered down at her brother. "It wasn't nice."

"You had your fair share of waking us up," Lorelai reminded her, tickling her foot gently. "Now it's Connor's turn."

Victoria sighed dramatically and flopped back against the pillows. "I'm bored," she announced.

Luke smiled softly at Lorelai. "And you say she's all me," he teased.

"Come snuggle with Mommy," Lorelai said, settling down against the pillows. "We'll have girl time."

"Girl time!" Victoria squealed, scrambling into Lorelai's arms.

Lorelai laughed and kissed her daughter's forehead before she smoothed her hair back. "Try to go back to sleep, honey, it's still early."

Victoria sighed against Lorelai's shoulder. "I want to help Daddy cook breakfast," she said.

"You will, as soon as he's ready," Lorelai promised. Meeting her husband's eyes, she stated, "You've created a monster."

"At least she's a cute monster," Luke offered.

Lorelai smiled down at their daughter. "Yeah, she's pretty cute," she said.

Over the past three years, Victoria had grown into an energetic, curious, and beautiful child. Her large blue eyes still resembled Rory's, and her light brown hair curled around her shoulders. She was always excited to stand on a kitchen chair beside Luke as he cooked, and had become a staple of the Dragonfly Inn. Lorelai was sure that Victoria was the only other person in the world who knew every nook and cranny of the historic building as well as she did.

A soft cry came from Luke's arms, and Lorelai sighed tiredly. In the six months since he'd arrived in the world, Conner Lucas Danes had been far more demanding and needy than either of his sisters had been. Lorelai had been lucky to get three hours of consecutive sleep since her son had been born.

"Give him to me," she sighed, reaching for the baby. "Your daughter may well explode if she doesn't get to help you cook soon."

Luke passed Conner to Lorelai and smiled down at Victoria. "Ready, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Ready!" she confirmed, scrambling towards the edge of the bed and racing to the door. "Beat you there."

"Better get going, Butch, or your record will be shattered by a four year old," Lorelai smirked.

Rolling his eyes, Luke pulled himself to his feet and strode towards the door. "Just for that comment, I'm making the coffee weaker than usual," he called without looking back.

Lorelai frowned down at her son. "Daddy's being mean again." Conner responded by tugging at her shirt, and Lorelai shook her head. "Alright, I get it, you're hungry." She unbuttoned her shirt and held him to her breast. Conner latched on a moment later, and Lorelai looked down at her son, admiring how much he resembled his father.

After Victoria's second birthday, Luke and Lorelai had begun to consider the idea of having more children. Neither was in denial about their age or the fact that Rory could very soon begin having children. So, as she had in the months following their engagement, Lorelai had tossed her birth control and they'd decided to leave the rest up to fate. Seven weeks later, the home pregnancy test had informed them that she was pregnant, and Lorelai would never forget the smile that stretched across Luke's face at the knowledge that he would finally have a son.

Unlike with Victoria, Lorelai's pregnancy with Conner had been incredibly challenging. She had trouble keeping food down, was frequently dizzy and tired, and rarely had the energy to even get out of bed. After some bleeding towards the end of her second trimester, the doctor had ordered bedrest as a precautionary measure. Luke, terrified, had all but locked her in their bedroom. Normally Lorelai would have hated being bored and locked up, but her fear for her son's safety and the lack of energy she had to do anything kept her safely in bed.

Conner had come into the world five weeks early, after a quick labor and easy (compared to his sisters) delivery. Both his parents had panicked, but the doctors had taken extra care to make sure that the infant was well cared for. After an extra two nights in the hospital, Conner had come home, healthy and ready to take on the world.

At that point, April had already moved out to attend MIT, and so Victoria had been the sole sibling in the house. Balancing two young kids had taken some adjusting, but Lorelai was infinitely glad that Luke had been there to help; she'd had no idea how she'd have dealt with Victoria's freakishly early morning wake ups half an hour after getting Conner down for his third nightly feeding otherwise. She had a newfound respect for single mothers with multiple children. She'd been blessed with how easy going Rory had been all those years ago.

"Done already?" Lorelai murmured as Conner pulled away and sighed contentedly. "Alright, little man, want to give Mommy a nice burp?"

She lifted him to her shoulder and gently patted his back, smiling when he let out a long burp. "Wow, you'll be ready for the fraternity in no time," she commented. "Let's go see what Daddy and Victoria are up to."

In the kitchen, Lorelai paused to watch Luke help their daughter pour milk into the pancake batter. Standing on a chair beside Luke, Victoria was staring up at her father with awe and pride. Although Victoria loved spending time with Lorelai, she was certainly turning into a mini version of Luke. One of Lorelai's most cherished memories had surprisingly been of Victoria and Luke, seated side by side on the couch and dressed to the nines in Red Sox gear during the previous year's playoffs. Victoria had clutched her Red Sox teddy bear and cheered at the TV alongside her father. When Lorelai had suggested taking an ice cream break, both father and daughter had given her an identical exasperated expression, telling her that leaving the house was not an option at that point.

It pleased Lorelai to know that Luke was finally getting the opportunity to be a father from the beginning. Neither Victoria or Conner would ever know the pain of an absent father. Neither would have to wonder if and when he'd show up as Rory always had, and neither would have to spend years wondering _who_ their father was, as April had. Luke was a doting father to all of their children, but Victoria and Conner were blessed in that they'd always had him to spoil them.

"Where's my coffee?" she asked, making her presence known as she settled Conner into his high chair.

"In the coffee maker, Mommy," Victoria reported as if it were obvious.

"Oh, how silly of me," Lorelai said. As she poured herself a cup, she asked, "Did I hear the phone ring earlier?"

Luke nodded towards the cordless that was sitting on the island counter. "Yeah, it was Rory," he said.

"Rory's coming for breakfast!" Victoria exclaimed.

"What on earth is Rory doing up at this hour?" Lorelai asked.

Luke shrugged. "Something about drinking all of the coffee at their place and needing more," he said. "I think she's freaking out."

Remembering the days before the Dragonfly had officially opened for business, Lorelai nodded as she sipped her coffee. "Well, she came to the right place," she said.

"Not so much flour, sweetheart," Luke murmured to Victoria. "Let me measure, and you can mix."

"Okay, Daddy."

Lorelai shook her head and leaned against the counter, watching Victoria's brow furrow in concentration. She loved her daughter with everything inside of her, but sometimes she wished that she saw a little more of herself reflected in the young girl who was so clearly, entirely, Luke's daughter.

"Hello?"

Lorelai perked up as the front door opened and her eldest daughter bounded into the kitchen. It was always refreshing to see Rory, the daughter who truly was a younger version of herself.

"Hi, sweets, I heard you ran out of coffee," Lorelai said. "Apparently I've taught you nothing."

"I specifically asked Ethan to buy more, and he didn't," Rory frowned, pouring herself a cup. "I have to be at the school for the final inspection this morning, so I was going over my to do list. Not so easy to do at six in the morning with only one cup of coffee."

Lorelai winced. "Has Ethan learned nothing from Luke?" she asked.

"Always have a spare vat of coffee on hand," Luke recited from the sink.

"Exactly," Lorelai confirmed. Turning to Rory, she added, "I can't believe you married a man who doesn't understand your coffee addiction."

"Hello, Luke has always bugged you about coffee," Rory frowned.

"Yes, but he's never withheld it from me," Lorelai said. "Except when I was pregnant."

"I remember," Rory rolled her eyes. She'd been around more frequently during Lorelai's second pregnancy.

About a year after they'd become engaged, Rory had officially declared that she wanted to take over the old Independence Inn as a school for teenage parents. She completed a business plan, talked to some of Paris's lawyer friends, and sought after investors. She and Ethan had taken residence in Lorelai's former house, and that August they'd had a simple wedding in the front yard. Lorelai had been the matron of honor with the pleasure of walking Rory towards her future, and Victoria, as flower girl, had teetered down the aisle hand in hand with Luke.

Richard and Emily had eventually come around to the idea of Rory marrying outside of their social circle. After months of silence, Richard had heard of Rory's proposed school through his network of contacts, and had called Lorelai to inquire about it. Lorelai had asked him to call Rory with any questions, and Rory had slowly but surely mended fences with her grandparents. Both were present at her wedding, proudly looking on as Lorelai had stood beside Rory while she pledged her life to Ethan.

The ceremony had been quick, and the reception had been long. Much like Luke and Lorelai's own wedding, the entire town had turned up, and the alcohol had been flowing. Although Christopher had been present, he'd for the most part behaved himself. With the exception of one awkward encounter in which he'd requested a dance with the mother of the bride (which was politely refused), Christopher had kept to himself and Gigi during the evening.

"Rory, when can I sleep over again?" Victoria asked as she hopped down from her chair and tugged at her sister's hand.

"Soon, baby sister," Rory promised. "I'll talk to Mom and Daddy Luke."

"I want to come over now!" Victoria insisted. "You have all the fun books!"

"Yes, but Mom has the coffee," Rory replied. "Priorities."

Luke turned to point an accusing finger at Rory. "You get her on the coffee bandwagon and you're banned from the diner," he threatened.

Rory simply widened her eyes and sipped her coffee innocently.

"Don't give me the Rory face, I'm immune," Luke muttered.

Lorelai reached to pat his shoulder. "Sure, babe, that's why you had to go check the porch at her house last week after work," she said.

"The porch that has a history of foundational problems," Luke said pointedly.

"But at least I don't have to tent it for termites," Rory said with a smirk.

Lorelai frowned. "You know, that school of yours wouldn't exist without our sizable investment," she reminded Rory. "We can demand it back at any point."

"No, we can't," Luke said firmly. Turning to Rory, he added, "We're the last people you pay back, no interest."

"Thanks, Daddy Luke."

Lorelai smiled as she watched Rory settle down beside Victoria at the kitchen table. As the sisters talked about the latest books they were reading-for Victoria, her thousandth reading of The Giving Tree, for Rory, her thousandth reading of Gone With the Wind-Lorelai ambled over to Luke and wrapped her arms around his waist. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she murmured, "Got time to kiss a pretty girl?"

"Sure, send Victoria over," Luke said.

Lorelai smacked his shoulder and then tugged him around to face her. "That joke will never be funny," she said.

"Always seems to get a reaction."

"Yeah, a reaction that will have you sleeping on the couch."

Luke shook his head. "No, I've learned from experience that you always backtrack on your couch threats," he said. "You miss me too much."

"True," Lorelai sighed. She kissed him softly, then murmured, "Thanks for breakfast."

Luke shrugged as he turned back to the stove. "Been doing it forever," he said.

"I know," Lorelai nodded. "But it's nice to have breakfast here, in the safety and familiarity of our own home, without changing out of our pajamas."

"I seem to remember you making me pack up a half made breakfast so you could eat it at the diner," Luke told her as he flipped a set of pancakes.

"Yeah, well, that was the old Lorelai, who was afraid of falling too hard too fast," Lorelai replied. "This Lorelai is much wiser. Just as pretty though."

"Somehow I can't imagine that will ever be a concern," Luke said. His voice was gruff but his eyes were loving.

"Years have been good to you too, Butch," Lorelai smiled.

"Okay, can you to stop making eyes at each other and make our breakfast?" Rory called from the table. "Some of us are hungry here."

"They do this all the time," Victoria reported to Rory.

"Trust me, baby sister, I know," Rory said. "Hey, did I ever tell you about the time that Daddy Luke gave Mom a turkey burger?"

Victoria stared across the kitchen at Luke. "That wasn't very smart, Daddy."

Luke rolled his eyes and turned back to the stove. "Seems to be the consensus," he muttered.

Lorelai shrugged. "Should have known better," she said. Sipping her coffee, she asked, "Who's taking the kids today?"

"Doesn't matter to me," Luke shrugged. "I can take them if you have a lot of meetings."

Lorelai silently went over her schedule for the day in her head. "No, I think I'm okay," she said. "Just a bunch of paperwork. I'll take them since you had them the past two days."

"Fair enough," Luke nodded. Glancing at the high chair, he asked, "He eat?"

"Yep, fresh from Mommy," Lorelai said, giggling as Luke cringed. "You'd think you'd be used to it by now."

"I don't have a problem with it, I just don't think you need to say it like that," Luke retorted. Before Lorelai could respond, he shoved a plate of pancakes in her hands. "Eat this."

Lorelai's eyes lit up as she saw the chocolate chips mixed into the pancakes. "You do love me!" she exclaimed.

Luke shot her a knowing smile before he turned to pour a new batch onto the griddle. Lorelai reached for the syrup and then joined her kids at the table. She glanced at Luke before she cut off a tiny piece of pancake and set it on Connor's highchair tray, beaming as he popped it into his mouth.

"So, favorite daughters, what's the gossip with the young people?" Lorelai asked. "Give Mommy all the details."

XXXXX

Luke sighed as he tossed a stack of plates into the dirty dish bucket, then turned to survey the state of the diner. In the post breakfast rush, he had a few minutes to regroup before the lunch crowd began to trickle in.

Stepping out of the main dining room, Luke peered around the corner to what had formerly been Taylor's Ice Cream Shop. The fall after Victoria had been born, after Taylor had promoted a 10% discount at the diner for anyone who purchased ice cream from him, Luke had reached his limit. He'd struck a deal with Taylor, and the lease had been dissolved. Taylor had moved the shop to what had formerly been Weston's Bakery, and Luke finally had the opportunity to expand the diner the way he wanted to.

The window had been transformed into an open doorway, and there was a small coffee bar on the opposite wall. Luke had designed this half of his business to reflect a more casual atmosphere, to house people who were willing to sit for hours, talking or studying or simply enjoying their coffee. Tables were scattered across the floor, and a selection of baked goods was available behind the counter.

He'd been surprised at how well the idea had taken off. His business in the diner had soared, as people looking for a meal were now able to find a table much more easily. The regulars had mostly transferred over to the café side, with the exception of Lorelai, who'd refused to give up her stool. Not that he minded that one particular customer remaining where she always had.

With a sigh, Luke retreated to the storage room and returned with the broom, methodically sweeping the scraps of food left on the floor by the breakfast patrons. As he did so, he heard the bell ring, indicating the door opening, and looked up to see his son in law stepping inside.

"Hey," he said casually. "What brings you in during the middle of the day?"

Ethan had taken his writing skills to Bridgeport, where he was now working as a political columnist for Bustle again. Rory, during her limited free time, still wrote freelance articles for the website as well.

"Took a half day," Ethan replied. "I promised Rory I'd tour the school."

Luke nodded as he placed a to go cup of coffee in front of Ethan. "Very important that you approve," he said. "Lorelai made me do the same thing at the Dragonfly."

"I'm sure it's perfect," Ethan said. "Rory never does anything halfway."

"That she doesn't," Luke replied.

"Any chance you can make her a burger?" Ethan asked. "She won't eat if I tell her too, but we both know she won't refuse your burger."

"Coming right up," Luke confirmed. He retreated into the kitchen and began preparing the burger exactly as Rory had loved it for years; medium rare, toasted bun, two strips of bacon and a slice and a half of cheese. Standing at the grill, he was overcome with amazement at how his life had turned out. He'd cooked countless burgers at this grill, probably half of them for Lorelai and Rory, but he could still remember the first time he'd done so, as a kid in his twenties. After having turned the hardware store into a diner, he was still mourning the loss of his father and pouring his grief into a lust filled relationship with Anna Nardini, never meant to be anything more than a fling. At the time, he'd thought that was all he needed, but now he knew he'd been so wrong.

Years later, married to Lorelai Gilmore and the father to three perfect girls and an equally flawless son, Luke knew that things were better now than they ever had been. Instead of closing the diner and driving to Woodbridge to feed his physical urges, he now left before the dinner rush to cook dinner for his own family. Lonely nights watching Red Sox games had been replaced by evenings playing with his kids on the living room floor and reading them to sleep. And instead of falling into bed, exhausted and alone, Luke now climbed into bed with Lorelai Gilmore Danes. Before they succumbed to sleep, they spent time either making love or simply being together, and Luke cherished the time they spent together, secluded in their bedroom where they were simply them; Luke and Lorelai, husband and wife.

He may have made some mistakes along the way, but his life had turned out to be pretty damn good.

Luke made sure Rory's burger was perfectly aligned before he wrapped it and placed it in a to go bag. He tossed in more fries than necessary, and then added a few onion rings for good measure. Although he'd tried to enforce healthier eating habits on his stepdaughter since her return to Stars Hollow, today was a big day. He knew she'd appreciate his thoughtfulness.

"Here you go," Luke said as he returned to the dining room and handed the bag to Ethan. "Let me know if you guys need anything. Rory mentioned something about checking the rain gutters last week."

"I'm sure she'll let you know," Ethan nodded. "Thanks, Luke, I'll see you later."

Luke nodded and turned to the cash register. He'd become more accepting of Ethan's presence in their lives over the past few years. It was amusing to think that Ethan looked up to him as a guide for how to enter into a marriage with a Gilmore girl. He supposed to Ethan, who hadn't been around to watch the drama of his relationship with Lorelai unfold, Luke was the closest ally he had in the insanity that was the Gilmore world.

As Luke sorted through his receipts from the morning, he heard the bell above the diner ring again. His curiosity was peaked when he saw a young girl, younger than April, walk timidly into the diner. Her stomach was prominently rounded, and her eyes were weary and bleak. He briefly wondered if she had heard about Rory's school before he pushed the cashier drawer closed and nodded towards the dining room. "Anywhere's fine," he said.

The girl settled into a chair at the table closest to the door, and Luke reached for a tea bag to drop in a mug of hot water. He approached her and placed the mug on the table in front of her. She flinched slightly, and he took a step back. She seemed terrified of everything around her.

"First time customers are on the house," he said. "Take your time."

As he turned to walk back towards the counter, she spoke for the first time. "I don't need charity."

For a split second, Luke slipped back in time to the first time Lorelai had brought Rory to the diner. _I don't need charity, Luke. Just a burger for Rory. I'll be fine._

"Offer stands," Luke shrugged. "Take it or leave it."

He retreated to behind the counter and went about his work, stocking coffee mugs and plates under the counter. From the corner of his eye, he watched the girl with curiosity. He couldn't deny that he wondered where she'd come from; any teenager from Stars Hollow who was pregnant would surely have reached Lorelai by now. She seemed exhausted and frightened, and Luke couldn't help but wonder if this is how his own wife had looked years ago when she'd arrived in town.

"Can I have a turkey burger please?" the girl asked meekly from the table.

"On its way," Luke confirmed. "Anything else?"

After a beat, she requested, "Coffee."

"Shouldn't drink coffee," Luke said gruffly. "Fought that battle for the past year."

Her eyes widened slightly. "You…your daughter's pregnant?" she asked.

Luke fought off pure panic at the idea. "My wife," he replied. "Was last year. Now we have a son."

"Do you have pictures?"

Luke stepped around the counter and pulled out his wallet. "That's Connor," he said. "And his sister, Victoria."

"Your wife, was she scared?" the girl asked. "To have a baby?"

Luke sighed, wondering why he felt the urge to explain such personal matters to a complete stranger. "A little," he admitted.

"But you were there," the girl deduced. "You helped her."

"Did the best I could."

"She's lucky then."

Luke felt his heart go out to the girl before him. She obviously was in some sort of trouble, and he wanted to help. Searching for what he'd want a stranger to do in the event Rory, April, or Victoria were ever in this situation, he held his hand out to her. "Luke," he said.

She regarded him carefully for a moment before she tentatively took his hand. "I'm Beth," she said.

"Good to meet you," Luke said. "I'll get you some decaf."

"Thanks."

Ten minutes later, Luke placed a turkey burger in front of Beth and nodded politely. "Enjoy," he said.

Beth offered him a grateful smile. She began to dig into the burger at a rate which would impress even Lorelai and Rory. Luke pretended to continue stocking items under the counter, but was unable to deny the curiosity mounting about the girl in front of him. After she'd finished her burger, he took her plate and asked, "Can I get you anything else?"

"No," she said. She sipped her coffee and asked, "Is it okay if I stay here awhile?"

"Sure," Luke nodded. "It's a slow day."

"Thanks," Beth said. She was quiet before she admitted, "I don't have anywhere to go."

Luke tilted his head to the side. "Parents?" he asked.

"Kicked me out," Beth whispered. "Could live in denial of my sins until it became too obvious."

Luke shook his head, suppressing a rant. He'd never understand parents who sent their children into the world with nothing. Even Lorelai's parents, while stifling and overbearing, would never have thought of sending Lorelai or Rory onto the street to be homeless.

"Got any friends?"

"Not anymore," Beth said. "People think it's contagious or something."

Luke nodded sympathetically. He felt connected to this girl on an emotional level; years ago, it had been Lorelai who'd wandered into Fran's bakery in nearly the exact same position.

 _It was Fran who directed me to Mia at the Independence Inn. I don't know what I would have done without her kindness._

Luke stood taller and nodded confidently. "I know exactly where you can go," he said.

XXXXX

"Mommy, I'm not tired!" Victoria whined from the couch in Lorelai's office.

"I know, baby, but one day you'll wish you had the opportunity to sleep in the middle of the day," Lorelai soothed. "So enjoy it while you can."

"Only babies take naps," Victoria reported stubbornly. "See!" She pointed across the room to where Conner was sleeping soundly in his playpen.

"Don't forget, Daddy takes naps too," Lorelai said.

Victoria contemplated this for a moment before she nodded. "Okay," she said and rested her head on the pillow. "I'll sleep."

Lorelai smiled and pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "Sweet dreams," she whispered.

As she pulled the door to her office closed, she reached for the ringing phone. "Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai speaking."

"Hey."

She smiled at the familiar sound of her husband's voice. "Well, if it isn't my favorite husband," she cooed. "Miss me?"

"I saw you three hours ago."

"So that's three hours without my charming personality and cleverly constructed jokes," Lorelai confirmed.

"Lorelai."

She could hear the seriousness in his voice, and sobered. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing…per say," Luke said. "There's a girl in the diner."

Lorelai waited for him to elaborate and then frowned. "Okay, hon, this is where you say the whole 'how can I help you' thing we've talked about."

"She's pregnant," Luke whispered.

"Are you back to being scared of pregnant women now that our ship has sailed?" Lorelai asked, trying to follow his thought process.

"No," Luke sighed. "She's pregnant and she's a kid and her parents kicked her out. She asked if she could stay here awhile, because she doesn't have anywhere else to go."

Lorelai closed her eyes as compassion poured over her. She could remember stepping off the bus in Stars Hollow, Rory perched on her hip, alone and terrified. "Send her here," she said.

"Are you sure?" Luke asked. "I thought…with your past…but I wasn't sure."

"Send her here," Lorelai said emphatically. "I'll make sure she's taken care of."

Luke exhaled. "Okay," he said. "Her name's Beth."

Lorelai smiled and filed the information away. "Okay," she repeated. "Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you a lot, but right now, in this moment, I'm especially proud to call you my husband."

She could almost hear the blush through the phone lines. "Love you too," he muttered before he hung up.

Lorelai placed the phone on its receiver and tapped her fingers against the desk for a moment, mentally calculating a plan. Mia had been completely flabbergasted to see Lorelai appear before her so long ago at the Independence Inn, but she hadn't floundered once. Now it was Lorelai's turn to offer that same kindness to another girl in need.

"Sookie!" she called into the kitchen. "We need a plan!"

Fifteen minutes later, the front door opened, and Lorelai walked curiously into the foyer. Standing before her was a teenage girl, pregnant and timid. Her blond hair was piled into a messy ponytail and her arms were folded over her stomach. "Um…are you Luke's wife?" she asked.

"The one and only," Lorelai smiled warmly. Reaching her hand out, she added, "I'm Lorelai. You must be Beth."

"Yeah, that's me," Beth whispered.

"Come sit in the library," Lorelai said. "I've got coffee and cookies."

Beth looked at her curiously before she nodded. "Okay."

Lorelai led the way to the library and gestured to a chair. "Sit down, I know your back is probably killing you," she said.

"Thanks," Beth smiled gratefully. She watched as Lorelai placed a couple cookies on a plate and handed them to her. "Luke said you have a new baby?"

"Six months old," Lorelai confirmed. "I'd let you see him, but you'll quickly learn that the worst thing a mother can do is wake her sleeping baby."

"Yeah, I've heard that," Beth whispered.

"So how far along are you?" Lorelai asked casually as she poured two cups of coffee.

"Seven and a half months."

"Final trimester," Lorelai shook her head. "Not the beautiful experience everyone says it is, huh?"

"Definitely not."

Lorelai could sense that Beth wasn't much for small talk, so she leaned back and looked at the younger girl carefully. "So Luke mentioned you might be looking for a job."

Beth's eyes widened. "I didn't say that!"

"You didn't have to," Lorelai said. "He's pretty astute. And an expert at connecting the dots."

"Oh."

"I'm assuming you're here because you need that job," Lorelai continued. "Otherwise you would have ignored Luke."

"I don't want charity."

"Hey, I get that, believe me," Lorelai nodded. "I'm not interested in just giving you a job. Here's what I'm proposing; You'll intern at the front desk for the next few months. Answer phones, file paperwork, make reservations, things like that. Once your baby's born and you're recovered, you'll work as a maid. Flexible hours, and you can bring your baby with you."

"That's very kind, but I don't have a car," Beth said. "Or a place to live. A town like this…I can't afford to live here."

Lorelai nodded, having anticipated that comment. "There's a gardening shed in the back," she said. "Electricity and running water. You can stay there until you get yourself on your feet."

Beth's eyes filled with tears. "Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked. "I'm…I'm the girl who got herself into trouble."

With a small smile, Lorelai reached into her purse. She pulled out her wallet and offered Beth a picture of her and Rory, on the steps of the Independence Inn. "This is me and my oldest daughter," she said. "Once upon a time, I was where you are now. A sixteen year old mother, with parents who refused to let me raise her the way I wanted to. So I got on a bus and ended up here. A kind stranger brought me in and gave me a job. So I understand what you're going through. I'm giving you this chance, but I don't consider it charity. I consider it…helping out another person the way someone helped me when I was in trouble. Take it or leave it, but just know that here, you won't be judged for how you've chosen to live your life. You'll have to work hard and meet the job requirements, but I'm willing to offer you this chance. I think you can rise to the challenge."

Silently, Beth pushed herself out of her chair and reached out to hug Lorelai tightly. "Thank you," she whispered. "I don't even know…thank you."

Lorelai hugged the young girl back. "You're welcome," she said. "Now, to focus on the important matters in life…boy or girl? I've got plenty of clothes my kids have grown out of to pass along to you."

Beth pulled back and wiped a tear from her eye. "Girl," she confirmed.

Lorelai smiled softly. "Perfect," she said. "Don't worry, Beth, we'll take good care of you and your daughter."

"No one has ever been this kind to me," Beth whispered. "You and your husband are amazing."

Lorelai smiled self consciously. "We've had our moments," she stated. "A lot of people have helped us out along the way, so now it's our turn."

"Well, I won't let you down," Beth said firmly. "I promise."

"I believe you," Lorelai said. "If there's one thing I understand, it's the desire to do something completely on your own. Like I said, I was once pretty much right where you are."

"Look at you now," Beth marveled. "You really own this place?"

"Co own," Lorelai nodded.

"And you have more kids and a husband," Beth stated.

"I do," Lorelai nodded. "It was a long road, though. A lot of happy moments, but some pretty tough ones as well."

"I can imagine."

Lorelai looked at the girl before her for a moment. She could remember Mia, gently teasing information out of her, and she hoped she could be as discreet as possible when she asked her next few questions.

"I'm happy to help you, Beth," she said gently. "But if you're going to be working here, living here, do you mind if I get a little bit of background information?"

Beth's eyes clouded over with understanding. She set her cookies on the table and shifted slightly in her chair. "Okay," she whispered.

"First of all…where are your parents?"

"Danbury," Beth whispered. "I told them when I got pregnant and then pretty much just ignored me. Then," she gestured to her stomach. "It got to be too much for them to ignore so they told me I had to find other accommodations."

"I'm sorry," Lorelai sympathized. Never would she have thought she'd be grateful for her parents' behavior during her first pregnancy, but now she was realizing that she was fortunate they'd never left her out on the street; she had that to be thankful for at least.

"So I left," Beth continued. "I had ten dollars. I spent five of them on a bus ticket, and the rest I thought I'd keep. In case of an emergency."

"Okay, well, you're here now," Lorelai soothed. "We'll get you on payroll as soon as possible."

Tears filled Beth's eyes. "Thank you," she said again.

Lorelai smiled. "One more tough question," she said. "Your baby's father…does he know?"

"He thinks I got an abortion."

Lorelai's eyes fell closed as her brain betrayed her and flashed a horrible memory.

" _It's not a bad idea, what my father suggested," Christopher said gently._

" _No," Lorelai insisted as she stood and stormed up the stairs._

" _Lor…"_

" _No!" she insisted._

" _Come on, it's a day or two of recovery, and then we can graduate and travel together, then get married and have kids when we're ready."_

" _No!" Lorelai shouted. "I'm not giving our baby up."_

" _Don't you want to take a night to think about it?" Christopher asked. "It would make us free."_

 _It was in that moment that Lorelai realized she was alone in the world. Christopher had been her ally since they were six years old, but now he was part of the other team. There was no way she could marry him._

" _I don't need a night," Lorelai said firmly. "If you don't want this, you're free. I can do it on my own."_

Back at the Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai shook the memory from her head. She'd never considered even thinking about Christopher's proposition, and thank God she hadn't. The world would not be the same without Rory Gilmore charging through it.

"Okay," she said to Beth. "I have an extra mattress and some furniture at home. I'll have Luke bring it over tomorrow. For today, there's an extra room upstairs where you can stay. I'll show you around this afternoon. You've had a long morning, why don't you freshen up a bit?"

Beth stood with Lorelai and nodded. "I don't…I don't know how to repay you," she said.

Lorelai smiled. "I'm hiring you to do a job," she said. "All you have to do is show up and do that job."

Beth leaned forward to hug her tightly. "Thank you."

Ten minutes later, Lorelai had showed Beth upstairs to an empty guest room, and she quietly slipped into her office. She stopped first at the bassinet, kneeling on the floor as she admired her son's sleeping form.

Conner was sleeping soundly, his thick, dark brown hair falling across his face. Lorelai smiled as she ran a gentle hand over the curls, admiring how perfect her son was. When she'd realized her third pregnancy would result in her having a son, she had been nervous. She was an expert at painting toenails, giving advice about boys, and applying make up. Rory, April, and Victoria had been challenging at times, but she could at least understand the complexities of the female brain. She'd never had to pay attention to sports or superheroes, and was terrified that she wouldn't be able to connect with her own child. But Luke had been thrilled to finally have a son to bond with, so Lorelai had swallowed her fears and allowed him to bask in his excitement.

Once Conner had been born, Lorelai had realized that her fears were unnecessary. She'd immediately felt the same sense of love and pride she'd felt for both Rory and Victoria. Perhaps even a bit more so for Conner, because he'd been born five weeks early, and Lorelai had feared for his safety.

Now, six months later, Conner was a happy and healthy baby. He'd grown exponentially, and was a cheerful, if demanding, baby. While Victoria had clung to Luke in the early months of her life, and still favored him when it came to cuddling, Conner took after his oldest sister. He loved when Lorelai rested him on her chest and read to him. He was happy enough with Luke when his father wanted to bond over a baseball game or making coffee, but Conner was always happiest nestled in Lorelai's arms.

Lorelai leaned forward to kiss his forehead gently before she turned to the couch where Victoria was sleeping soundly. Her knitted blanket, long since too small to cover her, was clutched in her tiny hands, and Lorelai smiled as she ran her fingers over the soft material. She could remember knitting the blanket when she was pregnant, determined to see that her daughter would be the most fashionable baby in the hospital. Now it had become Victoria's security blanket, and Lorelai was honestly surprised that it hadn't fallen apart by now; Victoria took it everywhere with her.

Taking a seat on the edge of the couch, Lorelai ran her hand over Victoria's foot and blinked back tears as she thought back upon her second daughter's arrival into the world. She was Luke's first _baby,_ even if she hadn't been his first child. Lorelai could still remember the awe that had taken over his face when she'd told him she was pregnant. She could still feel the tender way he'd touched her stomach, and the gentle mannerisms he'd used to hold their daughter in the first days of her life.

Lorelai loved all of her children equally. Each of them was unique and special in their own way. Rory would always be her best friend, the girl who'd saved her by forcing her to search for a better life. April was her logical, inquisitive kid who helped her view the world in a different way. Conner, her only son, was so far her most energetic. She could tell that he was going to be a bundle of energy and would constantly keep her on her toes when he started walking and moving around the world.

Victoria was special because she was the child Lorelai had thought she'd never get to have. Before she and Luke had imploded, on the lonely nights spent alone in a bed that was supposed to be theirs, Lorelai had dreamed of having another kid so that she and Luke could be close again. She'd given up on that dream when she'd married Christopher, but when she and Luke had begun to work things out, the thought of more children had slowly started to seep its way back into her mind. She could clearly remember, after celebrating their engagement on the boat, the expression on Luke's face when she'd told him that she wanted a baby. In such a Luke way, he'd processed her comment, kissed her, and told her to go off her pills. Months had passed, a wedding come and gone, and Lorelai had been terrified that they'd never get this.

But now, the product of a drunken round of passion on their kitchen table was sound asleep before her, and Lorelai smiled at the small girl. She and Luke had fixed their relationship and were sturdily committed to each other well before Victoria had come along. But there was a part of Lorelai who knew that it was their daughter who had solidified their union. By creating Victoria together, she and Luke had completed their final goal, had brought a bubbly life into the world, and had finally been able to share a child without another parent butting in. Victoria was _theirs,_ and for that she held a special place in Lorelai's heart.

Leaning over her daughter, Lorelai whispered a quiet, "Love you, baby," before she kissed her sleeping daughter's cheek.

"Love…Mommy," Victoria sighed as she clutched her blanket tighter.

Lorelai arranged the blankets over her daughter before she slipped back out of the office, making a new list of things to do in her head. She suddenly had a new spring in her step, and the smile on her face was just the tiniest bit larger than usual.

XXXXX

Two hours later, the door to the Dragonfly opened and Lorelai smiled when she saw Rory step inside. As reluctant as she'd been to see her daughter give up a job at Harvard, it was wonderful to have her back in Stars Hollow. Rory had been working hard to convert the Independence Inn into a school, and Lorelai was confident that it would be a success.

"Hey, sweets, how was the final inspection?" she asked as she walked around the desk.

"Perfect, everything went as planned," Rory reported with a proud nod. "So what's the surprise?"

Lorelai smiled and took her daughter's elbow. "I think I have a patron for you," she said.

"What?" Rory asked, her eyes narrowing.

Lorelai guided Rory to a chair in the library, near where Victoria was coloring and Conner was playing with a stuffed lion. Rory listened with rapt attention, then sat back in her chair with a sigh.

"Wow," she said. "So you're the new Mia, huh?"

"Appears so," Lorelai said. "This girl is so scared, Rory. She has it even worse than I did. As much as your grandparents suffocated me, they never would have kicked us out. And abortion was never a choice, you know that."

"I do," Rory nodded confidently. "What can I do?"

"I think for now, just talk to her," Lorelai said. "It might help her, knowing that a kid can grow up in an inn and still be Ivy League bound."

"I can do that," Rory said confidently.

"Would you and Ethan mind watching your brother and sister for a bit?" Lorelai requested. "I want to stay late, make sure that Beth is okay. You can go to our house if you don't want them at your place."

"No, they're fine with us," Rory said. She tilted her head to the side and commented, "I'm really proud of you, Mom."

Lorelai blushed and ducked her head. "Just giving back," she said. "Karma can be a bitch, but this is my chance to help it redeem itself."

Rory nodded, then leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "Take as long as you need here," she said. "I'm done at the school, and Ethan took the afternoon off. We'll take the kids so you can focus on work."

"Thanks, hon," Lorelai said. "Free coffee at Luke's for helping."

"Hey, baby sister, want to come home with me?" Rory asked as she slid off the couch and knelt beside Victoria.

"Yay!" Victoria cried, wrapping her arms around Rory's neck.

Lorelai frowned as she collected Conner into her arms. "Thanks a lot, Victoria," she said. "I thought you liked coming to work with Mommy."

"I do, but I've been waiting for a sleepover with Rory for a _million years!"_ Victoria waved her arms in the air for emphasis.

Rory laughed as she looked at Lorelai. "Your exaggerations and Luke's arm waving," she commented. "No doubt whose kid she is."

"Proud of it," Lorelai said. "I'll walk out with you."

Rory took Victoria's hand, and together they settled the kids into the car seats Rory kept strapped into the back of her car. Lorelai pressed a kiss to Conner's forehead, then leaned over to do the same to Victoria. "You be good for Rory and Ethan," she said.

"Promise, Mommy," Victoria said, kicking her legs excitedly. "Let's go, Rory!"

Lorelai shook her head as she straightened and closed the back door. "You know, not only do I love having you around because I missed you, but it's great to have a built in baby sitter," she commented.

"I'll remember that when I decide you're ready to become a grandmother," Rory warned.

"Ugh, never mind, go back to Harvard," Lorelai scoffed.

"I'll call you later," Rory laughed, sliding behind the wheel.

Once the car had disappeared from sight, Lorelai returned inside, settling in behind her desk to get some paperwork done. While she was happy to have hired Beth and help her out, she would have to rework some schedules and budgeting issues to make the new employee justifiable to her investors. She had no doubt that she'd make it work, but it would take some strategizing on her part.

After she'd devoured a delicious baked chicken dish from Sookie and showed Beth around the inn, Lorelai called Rory to check on the kids. Rory informed her that both of her siblings had eaten a healthy dinner and were sound asleep in front of the TV. Lorelai offered to come pick them up, but Rory insisted on keeping them for the night, as they were too exhausted to be moved. Secretly, Lorelai had been relieved; it had been a long day, and she hadn't had a chance to talk to Luke since his hurried phone call about Beth that morning.

As she hopped out of the driver side of her car, Luke was locking the diner for the night. She waited on the sidewalk as she watched him secure the door, her heart swelling with emotion for the man before her.

When he walked down the stairs, Luke's eyes widened when he saw Lorelai standing before him. "Hey," he said. "What are you doing here?"

She smirked as she leaned against the hood of his truck. "Heard there's a pretty hunky man who owns this joint," she said. "Figured I'd check it out for myself."

He smiled and stepped closer. "Where are the kids?"

"Sold them," Lorelai shrugged. "Now we can buy that private jet we've always wanted."

"Lorelai…"

"Relax, they're with Rory," Lorelai said. "I had a bunch of stuff to take care of, so she brought them home with her. I just talked to her, she said they're down for the count. We can pick them up in the morning."

"Okay," Luke said. "What about Beth?"

Lorelai smiled sadly. "Well, she's pretty sad and confused," she admitted. "But I offered her a job and a place to stay in the gardening shed. Rory said once the school is up and running she'll offer her a spot."

Luke nodded slowly. "Are you sure you're up for the task?" he asked. "I know I kind of sprang it on you."

"I can do it," Lorelai said. "Like Rory said, I'm the new Mia."

"Much prettier."

"I'm so telling Mia you said that."

"She'd agree with me," Luke murmured.

Lorelai smiled and looked down at her feet. "I want to say something," she said softly. "But…let me get it out, okay?"

Curious, Luke nodded. He reached for the hatch of the truck and popped it open, offering Lorelai a seat. She sat, letting her feet dangle in the air as he sat down beside her. Lorelai shoved her hands into her jacket pockets before she turned to look at him. "I know you love me," she started. "I may not have always known it, but I'm sure of that now. And you've always believed in me and had confidence in me. Even when I didn't believe in myself, even before we became us, you always knew how to help me feel better. You were there as a shoulder for me to cry on, both literally and figuratively."

Luke smiled softly as he reached out to toy with her hair. She closed her eyes at the feeling, enjoying the familiar gesture for a moment. She swallowed hard as she turned further towards him, tucking one leg underneath her and letting the other dangle over the edge of the truck.

"It wasn't until today," she continued. "That I really…understood how much you believe in what I have to offer others. I've always known that you had confidence in my ability as a mom and a wife, and a friend, but today, sending a complete stranger to me because you knew I could help, that meant so much to me, Luke. It showed me how much you've grown, how you're willing to be the compassionate man I've always known was hiding underneath that grumpy façade you put on for years. So I guess, what I'm trying to say, in my rambling way, is that…we've both grown. I could see that today. I'm better because of you. So thank you."

"Lorelai," he sighed as he leaned into her, breathing in her hair. "We've been through a lot together."

She smiled against the flannel covering his shoulder. "We have," she agreed. "Good, bad, and ugly."

"I love our life together," Luke murmured. "Everything we've done, the kids, the house, our jobs…we've done a great job together."

"We have," Lorelai repeated, pulling back to meet his gaze.

"When Beth came in today, I couldn't help but wonder if when you got here, with Rory, if you looked as terrified and lost as she did," Luke replied. "I hated thinking that you ever felt that way, and I wondered what I would have wanted someone to say to you. Or to April or Victoria or Rory, if God forbid they're ever in a similar position. I knew you'd be willing to help, because that's who you are."

"I'm so glad you sent her," Lorelai murmured. She was quiet for a moment before she looked over her shoulder to the bus stop. "Sometimes it feels like yesterday that I was standing there."

"Time's gone by fast," Luke admitted. "What brought you to Weston's that day?"

"Coffee," Lorelai replied immediately as she turned to look at him with a smile.

"Why did I even ask?" he muttered.

Lorelai shrugged. "Well, back then Fran had the monopoly," she said. "There wasn't a Luke's yet."

"Not for awhile," Luke admitted. "I hope I did the right thing today."

"You did," Lorelai promised. "She'll be okay, Luke. I mean, I'm going to hold her to the standards of doing her job, just like Mia did for me. But she'll have a place to stay and a job and food. The rest, she'll figure out on her own. Just like I did."

Luke sighed and nodded slowly. "She's so brave," he said. "Just like you were. Just like you are. I can't imagine taking on that responsibility."

"You have," Lorelai smiled. "Four times over. You're an incredible father, Luke."

"Thanks," he murmured. "But as a sixteen year old kid…I wouldn't have been. It was scary enough in my thirties."

"It was different," Lorelai said gently. "You know that."

"It was," he admitted. "But still…I'll never stop being amazed by you, Lorelai."

She smiled as she ran her hand over his shoulder. "Give yourself some credit too, Luke," she said. "You've grown so much. You've helped me grow."

He let out a deep breath and took her hand. He pressed a kiss to her hand and then looked over his shoulder to the sidewalk in front of the diner. He could still vividly remember her walking away from him, but that horrible memory was quickly overshadowed with them reconciling nearly a year later in the exact same spot.

"I've only ever wanted you to be happy," Luke admitted after a long moment.

"I am," she said earnestly. "Luke, our life, our kids, having Rory close, getting to run the Dragonfly every day…I'm happier than I've ever been. As cheesy as it sounds, our life is pretty perfect at the moment."

"Good," he said quietly.

"Luke," she whispered, prompting him to continue.

He waved a hand through the air as he turned to look at her. "I'm just glad that I can be the one to make you happy," he admitted. "For awhile…well, I thought I couldn't be that person for you."

Nodding slowly, Lorelai squeezed his hand. "Honestly?" she asked. "For awhile there, you weren't." Luke tensed, and she turned his head to face hers. Cupping his cheeks in her hands, she offered him a warm smile. "But I wasn't the girl to make you happy either. We didn't…we couldn't communicate with each other. I'm thankful every day, Luke, that we were able to fight past those horrible mistakes we both made and throw ourselves into repairing what we broke. Because now I'm so happy with you. I hope you're happy with me too."

"Lorelai," he sighed her name thoughtfully as he ran his hands over her back. "How could I be _unhappy_ with you as my wife?"

Lorelai leaned in to kiss him. "Good answer," she murmured. She kissed him again, her arms wrapping around his neck as she did so. After a moment, as Luke tried to make the kiss more heated, she pulled back slightly and ran her hands over his chest. "Rory's keeping the kids overnight," she reminded him. "You know what that means?"

Luke's eyes clouded over with desire as he stepped onto the sidewalk and pulled her down with him. "Let's not waste any more time," he requested.

As Lorelai skipped towards her car, she flashed him a dazzling smile over her shoulder. "First one home gets to undress the other," she called.

Luke stretched his arms lazily above his head. "I think I'll take my time, let you get a head start," he called back.

"You wouldn't dare," Lorelai said, perching her foot on the edge of her car as she leaned over the open driver's side door. "You promised no more wasted time!"

"Definitely not," Luke said, smiling back at her as he climbed into his own car. He laughed as he heard her honk her horn from behind him. Pulling his car into drive, he couldn't deny that Lorelai was right; their life had turned out pretty damn perfectly.

* * *

 **So, there you have it! Gilmore Girls was always to me about Lorelai finally getting the happiness she deserved and the love she craved, so that's where I took this story. I thought it would be more appropriate to illustrate her as the successful inn owner who can now help someone in the same way she was helped as a kid. And, of course, she got her "whole package" with Luke.**

 **A quick note about what's next: I've LOVED writing this story, and have a couple ideas floating around in my head for new stories. Some people have messaged me with requests, and I have some drafts of other stories buried in the depths of my computer. I'd love to know what you guys think, so if you have suggestions or are interested in weighing in on the ideas I do have, please PM me! I'm not sure how long it will take me to get another story up and running, but I hope you'll be around to read when I do.**

 **Thank you again for all your love for this story! Bon Voyage...for now!**


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